the verb, is, in many cafes, the best divifion, which a sentence will admit.

IN almost all the foregoing rules and examples, great regard must be paid to the length of thofe claufes, which form a compounded fentence, and are fuppofed to require the infertion of a comma. When the claufes are short, and closely connected, the point may be omitted. On the contrary, a fimple fentence, when it is a long one, may admit of a pause. For nature, which never feparates the agreeable from the truly useful, has annexed a pleasure to refpiration, which the hearer feels, as well as the fpeaker.

An ingenious writer has obferved, that not half the paufes are found in printing, which are heard in the pronunciation of a good reader or fpeaker; and that, if we would read or speak well, we must pause, upon an average, at every fifth or fixth word *.

*WALKER'S Elem. of Elocution, vol. i. p. 111.

The pauses therefore fhould be determined by the wants of respiration, and the laws of tafte. The principal defign of this chapter is to ascertain those laws, and point out those places, at which a ftop may be properly and commodiously admitted.

CHAP.

A

CHA P. III.

Of a SEMICOLON.

SEMICOLON fignifies half a mem

ber. The point, which bears this appellation, is used for dividing a compounded fentence into two or more parts, not so closely connected, as those, which are separated by a comma; nor yet so independent on each other, as those, which are distinguished by a colon.

In reading, a femicolon requires a longer pause than a comma.

1. Some conjunctions, when they express an

addition, an inference, an oppofition, &c. admit of a femicolon before them. The proper point however does not depend upon any particular conjunction; but upon the degree of connection, fubfifting between the two adjoining claufes.

EXAMPLES.

LET your behaviour be mild and unaffuming; and it will certainly be engaging.

Modefty is one of the chief ornaments of youth; and has always been efteemed a prefage of rifing merit,

Some things will not bear a ftrong light; and others require to be thrown into a shade. Moft of our pleafures are imaginary; but our difquietudes are real,

Straws fwim upon the furface; but pearls

lie at the bottom *.

* Errors, like ftraws, upon the furface flow:

He, who would search for pearls, muft dive below.

DRYDEN.

Chaucer

Chaucer followed nature every where; but never went beyond her *.

Loquacity ftorms the ear; but modefty gains the affections.

His faults were the faults of a man; but his beauties were the beauties of an angel +.

A jeft is not an argument; nor is a loud laugh a demonstration.

Christianity muft certainly be the true religion; otherwife all the religions in the world are but fables.

Green is the most refreshing colour to the eye; therefore Providence has made it the common drefs of nature.

Satire attacks the vices of men directly; whereas comedy attacks them only obliquely.

Virtue is real honour; whereas all other diftinctions are merely titular ‡.

A clownish air is but a fmall defect; yet it is enough to make a man universally disagreeable.

* DRYDEN, Pref. to Fables.

SPENCE on Pope's Odyffey, Even. iii.

Spect. No 286.

E 4

2. The