(and they have done unto him whatsoever they lifted) as it is written of him *, This man purchafed a field, with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burft afunder in the midft, and all his bowels gufhed out. (And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerufalem, infomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue Aceldama, that is to fay, the field of blood.) For it is written in the book of Pfalms +. * Mar. ix. 13. This parenthesis seems to be necessary, as the prophets do not any where foretel the ill-treatment, which John the Baptift received from Herod and the Jews. Some writers, especially Whifton, in vindication of their own miftaken interpretation, rafhly imagine, that the paffage in Malachi, ch. iv. 5, 6. which is here alluded to by the evangelist, has been mutilated by the Jews. Vide WOLLII Comment. Philolog. de Parenthefi facrâ, p. 127. Lipf. 1726. WHIST. Eff. towards reftor. the true Text of the O. T. p. 105. † Acts i. 18, 19, 20. The nineteenth verfe is an obfervation, inferted by the hiftorian. Peter would not have called the language of Jerufalem, "their proper tongue," when he himself spoke the fame dialect. Nor would he have explained the word "Aceldama" to the disciples, who must have known the meaning of it, as well as himself. But it was natural for the evangelist, who was a native of Antioch, and wrote for the information of the Chriftian world in general, to throw in thefe circumftantial obfervations. Vide CLERIC. Art. Crit. p. iii. f. 1. c. II. G 3 6. Some 6. Some writers on punctuation maintain, that the parenthetical marks fhould be accompanied with every point, which the fenfe would require, if the parenthesis were omitted. But the comma, if not the femicolon and the colon, is fuperfluous; because the paufe, which is neceffarily made at the beginning and the end of the parenthesis, while the reader or the speaker is giving his voice a different modulation, is, at leaft, equal in time to a comma, and is fufficiently marked by the parenthetical characters, without the addition of that point. In this cafe, the comma is indeed frequently and very properly omitted in books, which, in general, are accurately printed. EXAMPLES. JUDAS faith unto him (not Ifcariot) Lord, how is it, that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world † ? * Ipfa enim parenthefis eft interpunctio. VERNEIUS de Orthog. Latinâ. Romæ, 1747. ↑ John xiv. 2.2.0. Nicodemus Nicodemus faith unto him (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him*? Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law) how that the law hath dominion over a man, as long as he liveth †? Know then this truth (enough for man to know) "Virtue alone is happiness below ." This prophetic difcernment not only presents them the barren prospect of futurity (a profpect not hid from the meaneft of men) but fhews those events, which are likely to attend it §. * John vii. 50. † Rom. vii. 1.-ô veμos—sp' dσov Xpovov . The law, as long as it lives, fubfifts, or is in force. Effay on Man, b. iv. 309. HARRIS, Hermes, b. i. c. 7. p. 111. Many G 4 Many of the foregoing parentheses, and others of a fimilar conftruction, embarrass the periods, in which they occur; are utterly inconfiftent with accuracy and elegance of style; and fhould be carefully avoided. CHAP. СНАР. ІХ. Of a DASH, or a short horizontal line, in writing. HE dash is frequently used by hafty and Tincoherent writers, in a very capricious and arbitrary manner, instead of the regular point.. The proper use of it is, where the sentence breaks off abruptly; where the fenfe is fufpended; where a fignificant pause is required; or where there is an unexpected turn in the fentiment *. *See other ufes of the Dafh under the article ELLIPSIS, in the APPENDIX, chap. ii. |