The Grammar of English Grammars by Goold Brown (free ebook reader .txt) 📕

PRECEPT II.—In prose, avoid a poetic collocation of words. For example: "Guard your weak side from being known. If it be attacked, the best way is, to join in the attack."—KAMES: Art of Thinking, p. 75. This maxim of prudence might be expressed more poetically, but with some loss of perspicuity, thus: "Your weak side guard from being known. Attacked in this, the assailants join."

PRECEPT III.—Avoid faulty ellipses, and repeat all words necessary to preserve the sense. The following sentences require the words which are inserted in crotchets: "Restlessness of mind disqualifies us, both for the enjoyment of peace, and [for] the performance of our duty."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 166. "Double Comparatives and [Double] Superlatives should be avoided."—Fowler's E. Gram., 1850, p. 489.

PRECEPT IV.—Avoid the pedantic and sense-dimming style of charlatans and new theorists, which often demands either a translation or a tedious study, to make it at all intelligible to the ordinary reader. For example: "RULE XL Part 3. An intransitive or receptive asserter in the unlimited mode, depending on a word in the possessive case, may have, after it, a word in the subjective case, denoting the same thing: And, when it acts the part of an assertive name, depending on a relative, it may have after it a word in the subjective case. EXAMPLES:—John's being my friend, saved me from inconvenience. Seth Hamilton was unhappy in being a slave to party prejudice."—O. B. Peirce's Gram., 1839, p. 201. The meaning of this third part of a Rule of syntax, is, in proper English, as follows: "A participle not transitive, with the possessive case before it, may have after it a nominative denoting the same thing; and also, when a preposition governs the participle, a nominative may follow, in agreement with one which precedes." In doctrine, the former clause of the sentence is erroneous: it serves only to propagate false syntax by rule. See the former example, and a note of mine, referring to it, on page 531 of this work.

Unity consists in avoiding needless pauses, and keeping one object predominant throughout a sentence or paragraph. Every sentence, whether its parts be few or many, requires strict unity. The chief faults, opposite to this quality of style, are suggested in the following precepts. PRECEPT I.—Avoid brokenness, hitching, or the unnecessary separation of parts that naturally come together. Examples: "I was, soon after my arrival, taken out of my Indian habit."—Addison, Tattler, No. 249. Better: "Soon after my arrival, I was taken out of my Indian habit."—Churchill's Gram., p. 326. "Who can, either in opposition, or in the ministry, act alone?"—Ib. Better: "Who can act alone, either in opposition, or in the ministry?"—Ib. "I, like others, have, in my youth, trifled with my health, and old age now prematurely assails me."—Ib., p. 327. Better: "Like others, I have trifled with my health, and old age now prematurely assails me."

PRECEPT II.—Treat different topics in separate paragraphs, and distinct sentiments in separate sentences. Error: "The two volumes are, indeed, intimately connected, and constitute one uniform system of English Grammar."—Murray's Preface, p. iv. Better thus: "The two volumes are, indeed, intimately connected. They constitute one uniform system of English grammar."

PRECEPT III.—In the progress of a sentence, do not desert the principal subjects in favour of adjuncts, or change the scene unnecessarily. Example: "After we came to anchor, they put me on shore, where I was welcomed by all my friends, who received me with the greatest kindness, which was not then expected." Better: "The vessel having come to anchor, I was put on shore; where I was unexpectedly welcomed by all my friends, and received with the greatest kindness."—See Blair's Rhet., p. 107.

PRECEPT IV.—Do not introduce parentheses, except when a lively remark may be thrown in without diverting the mind too long from the principal subject. Example: "But (saith he) since I take upon me to teach the whole world, (it is strange, it should be so natural for this man to write untruths, since I direct my Theses only to the Christian world; but if it may render me odious, such Peccadillo's pass with him, it seems, but for Piæ Fraudes:) I intended never to write of those things, concerning which we do not differ from others."—R. Barclay's Works, Vol. iii. p. 279. The parts of this sentence are so put together, that, as a whole, it is scarcely intelligible.

Strength consists in giving to the several words and members of a sentence, such an arrangement as shall bring out the sense to the best advantage, and present every idea in its due importance. Perhaps it is essential to this quality of style, that there be animation, spirit, and vigour of thought, in all that is uttered. A few hints concerning the Strength of sentences, will here be given in the form of precepts.

PRECEPT I.—Avoid verbosity; a concise style is the most favourable to strength. Examples: "No human happiness is so pure as not to contain any alloy."—Murray's Key, 8vo, p. 270. Better: "No human happiness is unalloyed." "He was so much skilled in the exercise of the oar, that few could equal him."—Ib., p. 271. Better: "He was so skillful at the oar, that few could match him." Or thus: "At the oar, he was rarely equalled." "The reason why they [the pronouns] are considered separately is, because there is something particular in their inflections."— Priestley's Gram., p. 81. Better: "The pronouns are considered separately, because there is something peculiar in their inflections."

PRECEPT II.—Place the most important words in the situation in which they will make the strongest impression. Inversion of terms sometimes increases the strength and vivacity of an expression: as, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me."—Matt., iv, 9. "Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgements."—Psalms, cxix, 137. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."—Ps., cxvi, 15.

PRECEPT III.—Have regard also to the relative position of clauses, or members; for a weaker assertion should not follow a stronger; and, when the sentence consists of two members, the longer should be the concluding one. Example: "We flatter ourselves with the belief that we have forsaken our passions, when they have forsaken us." Better: "When our passions have forsaken us, we flatter ourselves with the belief that we have forsaken them."—See Blair's Rhet., p. 117; Murray's Gram., p. 323.

PRECEPT IV.—When things are to be compared or contrasted, their resemblance or opposition will be rendered more striking, if a pretty near resemblance in the language and construction of the two members, be preserved. Example: "The wise man is happy, when he gains his own approbation; the fool, when he recommends himself to the applause of those about him." Better: "The wise man is happy, when he gains his own approbation; the fool, when he gains the applause of others."—See Murray's Gram., p. 324.

PRECEPT V.—Remember that it is, in general, ungraceful to end a sentence with an adverb, a preposition, or any inconsiderable word or phrase, which may either be omitted or be introduced earlier. "For instance, it is a great deal better to say, 'Avarice is a crime of which wise men are often guilty,' than to say, 'Avarice is a crime which wise men are often guilty of.'"—Blair's Rhet., p. 117; Murray's Gram., p. 323.

Poetry, as defined by Dr. Blair, "is the language of passion, or of enlivened imagination, formed, most commonly, into regular numbers."—Rhet., p. 377. The style of poetry differs, in many respects, from that which is commonly adopted in prose. Poetic diction abounds in bold figures of speech, and unusual collocations of words. A great part of the figures, which have been treated of in one of the chapters of Prosody, are purely poetical. The primary aim of a poet, is, to please and to move; and, therefore, it is to the imagination, and the passions, that he speaks. He may also, and he should, have it in his view, to instruct and to reform; but it is indirectly, and by pleasing and moving, that such a writer accomplishes this end. The exterior and most obvious distinction of poetry, is versification: yet there are some forms of verse so loose and familiar, as to be hardly distinguishable from prose; and there is also a species of prose, so measured in its cadences, and so much raised in its tone, as to approach very nearly to poetic numbers.

This double approximation of some poetry to prose, and of some prose to poetry, not only makes it a matter of acknowledged difficulty to distinguish, by satisfactory definitions, the two species of composition, but, in many instances, embarrasses with like difficulty the attempt to show, by statements and examples, what usages or licenses, found in English works, are proper to be regarded as peculiarities of poetic diction. It is purposed here, to enumerate sundry deviations from the common style of prose; and perhaps all of them, or nearly all, may be justly considered as pertaining only to poetry.

The following are among the chief peculiarities in which the poets indulge, and are indulged:—

I. They not unfrequently omit the ARTICLES, for the sake of brevity or metre; as,

   "What dreadful pleasure! there to stand sublime,
    Like shipwreck'd mariner on desert coast!"
        —Beattie's Minstrel, p. 12.

    "Sky lour'd, and, muttering thunder, some sad drops
    Wept at completing of the mortal sin."
        —Milton, P. L., B. ix, l. 1002.

II. They sometimes abbreviate common NOUNS, after a manner of their own: as, amaze, for amazement; acclaim, for acclamation; consult, for consultation; corse, for corpse; eve or even, for evening; fount, for fountain; helm, for helmet; lament, for lamentation; morn, for morning; plaint, for complaint; targe, for target; weal, for wealth.

III. By enallage, they use verbal forms substantively, or put verbs for nouns; perhaps for brevity, as above: thus,

1. "Instant, without disturb, they took alarm."
        —P. Lost: Joh. Dict., w. Aware.

2. "The gracious Judge, without revile reply'd."
        —P. Lost, B. x, l. 118.

3. "If they were known, as the suspect is great."
        —Shakspeare.

4. "Mark, and perform it: seest thou? for the fail
       Of any point in't shall be death."
        —Shakspeare.

IV. They employ several nouns that are not used in prose, or are used but rarely; as, benison, boon, emprise, fane, guerdon, guise, ire, ken, lore, meed, sire, steed, welkin, yore.

V. They introduce the noun self after an other noun of the possessive case; as,

    1. "Affliction's semblance bends not o'er thy tomb,
       Affliction's self deplores thy youthful doom."—Byron.

2. "Thoughtless of beauty, she was beauty's self."—Thomson.

VI. They place before the verb nouns, or other words, that usually come after it; and, after it, those that usually come before it: as,

1. "No jealousy their dawn of love o'ercast,
    Nor blasted were their wedded days with strife."
        —Beattie.

2. "No hive hast thou of hoarded sweets."
        —W. Allen's Gram.

3. "Thy chain a wretched weight shall prove."
        —Langhorne.

4. "Follows the loosen'd aggravated roar."
        —Thomson.

5. "That purple grows the primrose pale."
        —Langhorne.

VII. They more frequently place ADJECTIVES after their nouns, than do prose writers; as,

1. "Or where the gorgeous East, with richest hand,
    Show'rs on her kings barbaric, pearl and gold."
        —Milton, P. L., B. ii, l. 2.

2. "Come, nymph demure, with mantle blue."
        —W. Allen's Gram., p. 189.

3. "This truth sublime his simple sire had taught."
        —Beattie's Minstrel, p. 14.

VIII. They ascribe qualities to things to which they do not literally belong; as,

1. "The ploughman homeward plods his weary way."
        —Gray's Elegy, l. 3.

2. "Or drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds."
        —Ibidem, l. 8.

3. "Imbitter'd more and more from peevish day to day."
        —Thomson.

4. "All thin and naked, to the numb cold night."
        —Shakspeare.

IX. They use concrete terms to express abstract qualities; (i. e., adjectives for nouns;) as,

1. "Earth's meanest son, all trembling, prostrate falls,
    And on the boundless of thy goodness calls."
        —Young.

2. "Meanwhile, whate'er of beautiful or new,
    Sublime or dreadful, in earth, sea, or sky,
    By chance or search, was offer'd to his view,
    He scann'd with curious and romantic eye."
        —Beattie.

3. "Won from the void and formless infinite."
        —Milton.

4. "To thy large heart give utterance due; thy heart
    Contains of good, wise, just, the perfect shape."
        —Id., P. R., B. iii, l. 10.

X. They often substitute quality for manner; (i. e., adjectives for adverbs;) as,

1. ——"The stately-sailing swan
   Gives out his snowy