Book excerpt: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1853 edition. Excerpt: ...and singular numbers. "They, coming up, commenced beating me. In a word, the written style ought to_b_e easily read and understood; and in these requisites it is the same as that of recitation; the very qualities however these which numerous connectives do not possess: neither the compositions which it is not easy to point as those of Heraclitus. For the pointing of Herablitus' works is quite a task, from its being far from clear whether words refer to those which precede or those which follow thems. For example, in the beginning of his work, " Of reason existing always men are ignorant: " for it is not clear to which branch of the sentence we should point off the " always." This moreover produces a solecism; the failure in paying back the idea, if, in the case of two words, you do not brine each under an expression adapted to both7: for exgmple, to the words " colour 5 Hence the distinguishing superiority of the prophecies of our Saviour's coming; for in them not the simple fact alone, but the very period at which it should occur was specified. " We can no where find a more striking instance of the want of clearness to which a neglect of these cautions gives rise, than in book ii. chap. 18, of the worthy Stagyrite's own work. 7 Or, to take his own illustration, in speaking of the object: of dzferent senses, be careful not to annex a verb which deiiotes the operation of one sense alone. This is well exposed 5. iv. In thesropez gen ers. 6. v. In theproper numbers. Four general rules. i. Style ought to be easy to read and to understand. ii. It must not depend on the punctuation. iii. 'In an expression of more than one word we must use a verb applicable to all. iv. There must be no...