of Number and Order; as, once, twice, thrice; then, thereafter, moreover, fo forth, of new, finally, Lastly, first, fecondly, thirdly, &c. (4.) Adverbs of the Manner, Quality, &c. And thefe are either Abfolute; as, fimply, well, ill, bravely; truly, verily, certainly; happily, perhaps, no, not; to wit, namely; apart, together; lo! behold! why? whether, &c. or Comparative, as more, exceedingly; lefs, bardly, well-nigh; fo, alike, as; otherwife, differently, &c.

CONJUNCTIONS are reckon'd the fixth Of the fixth Part of Speech. These are fuch Particles, or un- Part of Speech, variable Words, as ferve to conjoin Words and call'd Conjun Sentences together, and thereby fhew their De- Kinds of them. Etions, and the pendence on one another. Of these there are the following Sorts. (1.) Copulatives; as, and, with; neither, nor. (2.) Disjunctives; as either, or. (3.) Conceffives; as, though, although, albeit, yet. (4.) Adverfatives; as, but, yet, notwithStanding, nevertheless. (5.) Caufals; as, for, becaufe, that. (6.) Illatives; as, therefore, wherefore, feeing, fince. (7.) Finals; as, that, to that end. (8.) Conditionals; as, if, provided, if indeed. (9.) Exceptives; as, unless, except. (10.) Diminutives; as, at least, only. (11.) Expletives; as, now, truly, indeed, for footh. (12.) Declaratives; as, viz. to wit, namely, &c.

tions.

PREPOSITIONS are the feventh Part of Of the feventh Speech; and, as their Name implies, are fet be- Part of Speech, fore Nouns Subftantives to fhew the Relation becall'd Prepofitween them, and alfo the Manner, Order, Caufe, Time, Place and other Circumstances of Nouns and Verbs; as, in, to, through, by, before, bebind, after, from, at, against, about, among, for, with, beyond, &c. And befides this feparate Ufe of Prepofitions, they have another, which is to be joined in Compofition with a vaft Number of Nouns and Verbs; and by this means they create

a great

Of the eighth

call'd Interjections, and their feveral

Kinds.

a great Variety, and give a peculiar Beauty, Fluency, and Elegance to the Language; as hath been before intimated.

INTERJECTIONS make the Eighth and Part of Speech, laft Part of Language; these are small indeclinable Words or Particles, which denote the Affetions and Passions of the Mind, independently of any other Word in the Sentence; as in Calling, Ho, Sobo! in Rejoycing, as O brave! Some exprefs Grief; as, ab! alas! wo is me! fome Wonder; as, O ftrange! indeed! fome Praife; as, well done! fome Averfion; as, away! phy! tub! fome Surprize; as, Good God! What! fome Fear; as, ba! aba! fome Silence; as, bark! bush! 'ft! fome Derifion; as, avant! away with! fome Imprecation; as, wo! pox on't! fome Wishing; as, God grant! would to God! fome Deprecation; as, God forbid!

A general Obfervation.

Of the fourth Part of Grammar, Syntaxis. A Sentence, achat.

CONCERNING all thofe Particles, which make the four laft Parts of Speech, this in general may be obferv'd, that they are very often used interchangeably the one for the other, according to the Tenor and Exigency of the Sentence or Expreffion; the fame Word being now an Adverb, then a Conjunttion, fometimes a Prepofition, at others an Interjection; as is obvious to the Eye of every obfervant Reader. I fhall now proceed to the laft Part of Grammar, viz.

THE SYNTAXIS or due Conftruction of Words in Sentences. A Sentence is an Expression which confifteth at leaft of two Words, as God is, Jobn readeth; but oftentimes it hath three or more, as, God hateth Liars, but His Countenance doth always behold the Upright. In every Sentence there must be found a Noun and a Verb, the first the Subject of which the latter doth affirm fomething, as, a Lie is abominable.

THE

Concord and

THE Syntaxis, in thofe Tongues which vary The two Parts the Terminations of the Nouns and Verbs, is di- of Syntaxis, vided into two Parts, viz. Concord and Govern- Government. meat. Concord is the Agreement of Words in Number, Perfon, Gender, Cafe, &c. Government is when one Word fo governs another, that it causes it to be put into fome fpecial Cafe; and therefore, fince all Cafes of English Nouns are made by invariable Particles, or little Words, as before hath been taught, it plainly appears that little Syntactical Government is to be expected in our Tongue, and that 'tis much better taught by the Genius thereof, than by the Rules of Art.

cord.

BUT with regard to Concord, fomewhat is Some Rules for neceffary to be faid; fince, tho' in itself fo eafy, English Conit is fo little understood or attended to, in either Speaking or Writing, amongst common People. Its Rules are few and plain, and are as follow. (1.) The Particles a and an muft never be set before Nouns of the Plural Number; but the before Singular and Plural; as a Man, an Houfe, the Man, the Houfe. (2.) A Verb must agree with its Noun in Number and Perfon, as Thou readeft, He beareth, We read. (3.) Two Nouns fingular, having a Conjunction Copulative between them, require a Plural Verb; as, The King and Queen reign, not reigns: His Juftice and Goodness were (not was) great. (4.) Nouns of Number, or Collectives, may have a Singular or Plural Verb, tho' themfelves be Singular; as, The Mob is, or are, unruly; the Parliament is, or are, fitting; part of the Nation was, or were, flain. (5.) Any Sentence, or Matter, being the Subject of the Verb, requires the Verb to be put in the Singular Number; as, Early rifing is heathful; to be learned is very honourable. (6.) When two Nouns of different Numbers are connected in a Sentence by a Verb, the Verb generally agreeth in Nam

ber

Solecifm, what.

ber with the nearest; as, Nothing is here wanting but Charms: Riches are too often a Snare to Men. The Rules of Concord between the Subftantive and Adjective, the Relative and Antecedent, have in our Tongue no place.

AND when these or any other Rules of Grammar are tranfgreffed in Speaking or Writing, fuch a Default is call'd a Solecifm, or an Impropriety of Speech, wherein the Expreffion is rude, uncouth, Whence deri- and barbarous. It is faid to be derived from the ved. Soli, a People of Attica in Greece, who being tranfplanted to Cilicia in Leffer Afia, quite loft the Purity of their Mother Tongue, and became remarkable and even a By-faying for their barbarous Pronunciation.

Of Periods, their Nature and Compofi

tion.

As Syllables are compofed of Letters, Words of Syllables, and Sentences of Words; fo Periods are compofed of Sentences, and a Difcourfe of Periods. Every Period ought to have two compleat Sentences, and not to exceed four. And that the Period may be just and agreeable, the Expreffions or particular Sentences fhould not be too long, but fuch as may render the whole Period proportional to the Breath of the Speaker, and the Voice capable of repofing at convenient Intervals.

A Period of A Period therefore cannot confift of less than two Sentences. two Sentences or Members; for inftance, (1.) As the Body without the Spirit is dead, (2.) fo Faith without Works is dead alfo.

ces.

A Period of A Period of three Members may be fuch as three Senten- this; (1.) Seeing that by thee we enjoy great Quietness, and that very worthy Deeds are done unto this Nation by thy Providence; (2.) We accept it always, and in all Places, moft noble Felix, with all Thankfulness: (3.) Yet that I be not further tedious to thee, I pray that thou wouldst hear us, of thy Clemency, a few Words. A Period of

three

three Members more fimple: (1.) In the Beginning was God, (2.) and the Word was with God, (3.) and the Word was God.

A Period of four Sentences or Members: (1.) A Period of The Father judgeth no Man, (2.) But bath com-four Sentences. mitted all Judgment to the Son; (3.) That all Men

bould bonour the Son, (4.) even as they honour the Father.

THUS much for the Nature of Periods in general, which, as they are the Parts or Members of Difcourfe, fo the more equal, proportionate, fententious, and beautiful they are contrived, the more fubftantial, perfect, elegant, and agreeable will be the Oration; and therefore it is a Matter of the greatest Importance to those that fpeak in Public.

IN Writing we ufe feveral Stops or Paufes, The Points or and other Marks or Characters, which are as fol- Stops used in Writing. low, viz. The Comma (,) which stops the Voice while you tell one. The Semicolon (;) paufeth while you tell two. The Colon (:) while you tell three; and the Period, or full Stop, (.) while you tell four. They are ufed in a Period according as the Senfe of each feparate Member is more complete, and the laft or full Stop only at the Clofe of the Period.

The Marks or Characters used by Writers are Other Marks thefe.

(1.) An Interrogation (?) when a Question is

afked, as, Who?

(2.) A Note of Admiration (!) as, Was ever

the like feen!

(3.) An Accent (`).

(4.) An Apostrophe, (') as I'll, for, I will. (5.) An Afterifm (*) referring to fomewhat in the Margin.

(6.) An

and Chara

&ters.