Is this the confidence you gave me? Shall be unsaid for me.-Milton. Syllogism is made use of to discover a fallacy cunningly wrapt up in a smooth period.-Locke. For the assistance of memories, the first word of every period in every page may be written in distinct colours.-Watts. COLON, n. s. A point (:) used to mark a pause greater than that of a comma, and less than that of a period. Its use is not very exactly fixed; nor is it very necessary, being confounded by most with the semicolon. It was used, before punctuation was refined, to mark almost any sense less than a period. To apply it properly, we should place it, perhaps, only where the sense is continued without dependence of grammar or construction; as, I love him, I despise him: I have long ceased to trust, but shall never forbear to succour him. SEMICOLON, n. s. Half a colon; a point made thus (;) to note a greater pause than that of a comma. COMMA, n. s. The point which notes the distinction of clauses and order of construction in the sentence: marked thus (,) Commas and points they set exactly right.-Pope. PARENTHESIS, n. s. A sentence so included in another sentence, as that it may be taken out, without injuring the sense of that which encloses it, being commonly marked thus, () In vain is my person excepted by a parenthesis of words, when so many are armed against me with swords.-King Charles. In his Indian relations, are contained strange and incredible accounts; he is seldom mentioned without a derogatory parenthesis, in any author. -Brown. Don't suffer every occasional thought to carry you away into a long parenthesis, and thus stretch out your discourse, and divert you from the point in hand.-Watt's Logick. INTERROGATION, n. s. [interrogation, Fr. interrogatio, Lat.] 1. The act of questioning. 2. A question put; an inquiry. 3. A note that marks a question: thus (?) as, Does Job serve God for nought? INTERROGATIVE, adj. [interrogatif, Fr. interrogativus, Lat.] Denoting a question; expressed in a questionary form of words. INTERROGATIVE, n. s. A pronoun used in asking questions: as Who? What? Which? Whether? INTERJECTION, n. s. [interjection, Fr. interjectio, Lat.] A part of speech that discovers the mind to be seized or affected with some passion: such as are in English, O! Alas! Ah!-Clarke's Latin Grammar. Their wild natural notes, when they would express their passions, are at the best but like natural interjections, to discover their passions or impressions.-Hales' Origin of Mankind. TO BREAK, V. a. pret. I broke or brake; part. pass. broke, or broken, [Saxon.] To stop; to make cease. Break their talk, mistress Quickly; my kinsman shall speak for himself. Shakspeare. BREAK, n. s. [from the verb.] A pause; an interruption. A line drawn, noting that the sense is suspended. All modern trash is Set forth with num'rous breaks and dashes.-Swift. TO DASH, v. a. [The etymology of this word, in any of its senses, is very doubtful.] DASH, n. s. [From the verb.] A mark in writing: a line to note a pause, or omission. H He is afraid of letters and characters, of notes and dashes, which, set together, do siguify nothing.-Brown's Vulgar Errours. In modern wit, all printed trash is Set off with num'rous breaks and dashes.-Swift. No. III. EXTRACT FROM THE ENGLISH HEXAPLA, Exhibiting six important English Translations of the New Testament Scriptures: Wicklif, M.CCC.LXXX. Genevan, Tyndale, M.D.xxxiv. Cranmer, M.D.XXXIX. M.D.LVII. Anglo-Rhemish, M.D.LXXXII. The original Greek text after Scholz. London: Samuel These extracts are given without the slightest alteration, either as to pointing or otherwise. THERFOR Whanne jhesus was borun in Bethleem of iuda, in the dayes of king Eroude: lo astromyens camen fro eest to ierusalem & seiden, wher is he. that is borun king of iewis? for we han seen his sterre in the eest; and we comen for to worschip hym.-Translation by Wicklif-1380. WHEN Iesus was borne at Bethleem in Iury, in the tyme of Herode the kynge. Behold, there came wyse men from the eest to Ierusalem saynge: Where is he that is borne kynge of the Iues? We have sene his starre in the eest, and are come to worship him.—The version of William Tyndale-1534. WHEN Jesus was borne at Bethleem a cite of Iewri, in the tyme of Herode the kynge. Behold, there came wysemen from the east to Ierusalem, sayinge: where is he that is borne kynge of lewes? For we haue sene hys starre in the east, and are come to worshyp him.—Cranmer's or the Great Bible-1539. VVHEN Iesus was borne at Bethlehem in Iurie, in the tyme of Herode the king: Beholde there came wise men from the East to Ierusalem, Saying, Where is that king of lewes that is borne? For we have sene his starre in the East, and are come to worship him.-Translation made by the English Exiles at Geneva, commonly called the Geneva New Testament-1557. WHEN IESVS therefore vvas borne in Bethlehem of Iuda in the dayes of Herod the King, behold, there came Sages from the East to Hierusalem, saying, vvhere is he that is borne King of the levves? For vve haue seene his starre in the East, and are come to adore him. -The Anglo-Rhemish Translation of the Bible, made by the Catholics of the English College at Rheims, from the Latin Vulgate-1582. Now when Iesus was borne in Bethlehem of Iudea, in the dayes of Herod the king, behold, there came Wise men from the East to Hierusalem, Saying, Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes? for we haue seene his starre in the East, and are come to worship him.-King James' Bible or the Authorized Version-1611. No. IV. In different parts of the Essay I have referred to a work which is entitled, "Ascensius Declynsons with the Plain Expositor." The only notice I find of this work, is in a work entitled, "Typographia, or the Printers' Instructor, by J. Johnson, Printer," which was printed in 1824. I have failed in tracing Mr. Johnson, and I believe him to be dead-allowed to search the Bodleian Library I could not find it there ;-Dr. Dibdin kindly answered a letter to me on the subject:-upon consideration I come to the conclusion that Johnson is not of sufficient authority to attribute the work to Wynkyn de Worde, and that some error may have crept into his statement. Dr. Dibdin says, in the absence of the book it is impossible to pronounce an accurate opinion upon the type. Wynkyn de Worde is not unlikely to have been the printer, as he printed a great many grammatical works, and Jodocus Badius Ascensius, the director of the Lyons press, was among the most celebrated Grammarians and Editors of ancient classics of the day." Without passing an opinion on the subject, I will give what Johnson says upon the subject, and the extract itself, verbatim, leaving every reader to form his own opinion on the matter. "ASCENSIUS DECLYNSONS WITH PLAYNE EXPOSITOR. Without date, place, or printer's name. Quarto. "The above is a head Title, which occurs on sign. a; but the work is without Title-page, Date, Printer's name, or Device; and it is ascribed to Wynkyn de Worde from a peculiar type which is found in the Ortus Vocabularum, by the same Printer. It extends to D in sixes; after which are an Epilogue, and "address to the young learners to consider diligently the rules of pointing," &c. The following is an amusing extract containing the ancient method of Punctuation :: "OF THE CRAFT OF POYNTING. "Therbe fiue maner pontys, and diuisions most vside with cunnyng men: the which, if they be wel vsid, make the sentens very light, and esy to vnderstond both to the reder, & the herer, & they be these: virgil, come, parenthesis, playnt poynt, and interrogatif. A virgil is a sclender stryke: lenynge forwarde thiswyse, be tokynynge a lytyl, short rest without any perfetnes yet of sentens: as betwene the fiue poyntis a fore rehersid. A come is with tway titils thiswyse: betokynyng a lenger rest and the sentens yet ether is vnperfet: or els, if it |