have indulged him in every thing; so that he has become insufferably vain and selfish." III. Propositions which would otherwise be separated by the period are sometimes separated by the semicolon, because some general thought connects the ideas expressed; as, "She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table." Here the general idea of a feast runs through the propositions, preventing so great a separation as would be denoted by the period. IV. The semicolon is used to separate parts of sentences when these parts, or any of them, consist of portions separated from each other by the comma; as, "The dome of Agrippa, still glittering with bronze; the mausoleum of Adrian, not yet deprived of its columns and statues; the Flavian amphitheatre, not yet degraded into a quarry, told the Mercian and Northumberland pilgrims some part of the story of that great civilized world which had passed away."-Macaulay. Remark. Some would use a dash as well as a comma after quarry. V. Particulars introduced in such a way as to cause the mind to dwell on each particular are separated by the semicolon; as, "A traveller must be freed from all apprehension of being murdered or starved before he can be charmed by the bold outlines and rich tints of the hills. He is not likely to be thrown into ecstacies by the abruptness of a precipice from which he is in danger of falling two thousand feet perpendicular; by the boiling waves of a torrent which suddenly whirls away his baggage and forces him to run for his life; by the gloomy grandeur of a pass where he finds a corpse which marauders have just stripped and mangled; by the screams of those eagles whose next meal may probably be on his own eyes."-Macaulay. Here the repetition of the preposition by serves to introduce the particulars in a more formal manner, thus causing the mind to dwell on each one. Why are propositions which would otherwise be separated by the period sometimes separated by the semicolon? Why is the semicolon used in "The dome of Agrippa," etc? Why in "A traveller must be freed," etc? VI. A general term having several particulars in apposition with it is separated from the particulars by the semicolon, and the particulars are separated from one another by the comma; as, "There are four genders; the masculine, the feminine, the common, and the neuter." VII. As introducing a sentence as an illustration is preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma. VIII. If yes or no in the answer to a question is followed by a proposition, it is generally separated from the proposition by the semicolon; as, "Yes; he said he would come;" "No; I know nothing about it." EXERCISES. Punctuate the following: [II.] The buds spread into leaves and the blossoms swell to fruits but they know not how they grow. Why Dr. Johnson this is not so easy as you seem to think for if you were to make little fishes talk you would make them talk like whales. [III.] Every thing grows old every thing passes away every thing disappears. [IV.] There was the honest cock-robin, the favorite game of stripling sportsmen, with its loud, querulous note and the twittering blackbirds, flying in sable clouds and the golden-winged woodpecker, with his splendid plumage and the cedar-bird, with its red-tipped wings and yellow-tipped tail, and its little montero cap of feathers and the blue jay, that noisy coxcomb, in his gay, light-blue coat and white underclothes, screaming and chattering, nodding and bobbing and bowing and pretending to be on good terms with every songster of the grove. [V.] He delighted to read descriptions of countries devastated by war of cities destroyed by fire of regions depopulated by the plague. [VI.] There are three cases the nominative the possessive and the objective. There are six tenses the present the present-perfect the past the past-perfect the future and the future-perfect. [VII.] There should be no point between the factitive objective and the verb as Plutarch calls lying the vice of slaves. [VIII.] Did you see him? No I could not find him. Have you ever been in Mobile? Yes I was there last winter but I remained only a few days. Why is the semicolon used in "There are four genders," etc? What punctuation with as? THE COLON. I. The colon sets off a proposition not formally connected with the preceding part of the sentence; as, My father lived beside the Tyne; A wealthy lord was he; And all his wealth was marked as mine: He had but only me.-Goldsmith. Remark. The last line gives a reason without being formally connected with what goes before. If for had been expressed, thus making a formal connection, the semicolon should have been used instead of the colon. II. An unconnected proposition expressing in another form what has been previously expressed is set off by the colon; as, "But Goldsmith had no secrets: his follies, his weaknesses, his errors, were all thrown to the surface."-Irving. III. A proposition containing a general statement, if followed by propositions separated by semicolons and giving particulars as illustrations,* should have a colon after it; as, "He disposed of his time with great regularity: in his garden he limited himself to one hour twice a day; in reading books of amusement he limited himself to one hour after breakfast and another in the evening." IV. The colon is used before a quotation not introduced as the object of a verb; as, "He spoke as follows: 'I am lost in wonder at this infatuation. I see before me,"" etc.; "Fierce he broke forth: 'And dar'st thou then,'" etc. Remark. After say, reply, exclaim, cry, or other verb of the kind, the quotation is the object of the verb, and it is separated from the verb by the comma. Though there may be more than one sentence in the quotation, still the comma is used, the whole quotation being taken as a unit; as, "Retiring to his chamber, he said to Rapp, 'Misfortunes never come singly. This event fills up the measure of evil here."" V. The colon is used when such expressions as the following point forward to something; as, "Punctuate the following: John, give it to me." *Genus and species. What is the office of the colon? Of "He disposed of his time," etc. VI. The colon is used also after a formal address at the beginning of a speech; as, "Ladies and gentlemen: The subject before us is one of great importance," etc. Also after a formal address at the beginning of a letter; as, "My Dear Friend: You do not know how anxious I am to hear from you," etc. Remark. The formal address is generally placed in a line by itself. EXERCISES. Punctuate the following: [I.] Study to acquire a habit of thinking no study is more important. Avoid affectation it is a contemptible weakness. Be on thy guard against flattery it is an insidious poison. [II] He was generous and inconsiderate money with him had no value. Laziness grows on people it begins in cobwebs and ends in iron chains. They talked of their murderous exploits as a sportsman talks of his amusements to shoot down a traveler seemed of little more consequence to them than to shoot down a hare. [III.] The Scottish people had always been singularly turbulent and ungovernable they had butchered their first James in his bedchamber they had repeatedly arrayed themselves in arms against James the Second they had slain James the Third on the field of battle their disobedience had broken the heart of James the Fifth they had deposed and imprisoned Mary they had led her son captive. [IV.] His speech was as follows "I have not come to waste your time," etc. He folded his arms, and thus he spoke "My manors, halls, and bowers," etc. [Remark.] He said "I will wait for you here. Come back as soon as you can." "Turning to Graham, she added 'Will you help to make way for us?" " [V.] She found in his pockets the following articles an apple, etc. Friends and fellow-citizens On this beautiful day, etc. THE INTERROGATION-POINT. I. The interrogation-point, or note of interrogation, marks the end of a question; as, "Of what parentage are you?" "He said, 'Of what parentage are you?" Remark. This point is to be used only with direct questions. "He asked me of what parentage I was." Here is not a question, but merely an assertion that a question was asked. What punctuation after a formal ad- | What is the office of the interrogationdress? point? II. The interrogation-point is generally equivalent to a period and followed by a capital letter; as, "Do you confess so much? Give me your hand." But sometimes the degree of separation is no greater than that marked by the comma or the semicolon; as, "Will you sit down? and we two will rail against the world." III. In a series of connected questions the interrogationpoint should be used after each complete question; as, “What said he? How looked he? Did he ask for me?" But when two or more questions are arranged as one, no answer being expected till after the last, this point is used after the last only; as, "Hath he said it, and will he not do it?" "Will you go, or will you stay?" EXERCISES. Punctuate the following: [I.] Why did you cry When did you come How long have you been here Knowest thou the land where the citrons bloom [Remark.] They asked me why I cried Tell me when you came John asked me when I came You ask me whether I have read Milton [II] Marked ye his words he would not take the crown Shall I descend and will you give me leave [III.] Must I budge Must I observe you Must I stand and crouch under your testy humor Did he go or did he send THE EXCLAMATION-POINT. I. The exclamation-point, or note of exclamation, is used after vehement expressions of emotion; as, "O Banquo! Banquo! our royal master's murdered!" II. In impassioned language this point is used after the nominative independent instead of the points that would be used in unimpassioned language; as, "All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, thane of Cawdor!" "O thou vile king! give me my father!" With what kind of letter is this point | followed? What punctuation in a series of connected questions? What is the office of the exclamation- Explain the punctuation of "All hail, |