recognize a sharper antithesis than we can evolve from its connected ideas; better would be, "At present, however, the churches seem little disposed to support it.". Care should be taken that the adversative implied by the softened however be not too attenuated. Professor Earle quotes the following: “Cureton imagined that he could gain evidence for the Hebrew original of St. Matthew from the Syriac version which he published, and which he contended had not been made from Greek, but from the original Aramaic. However, on that point he has failed to convince scholars." Of this he remarks: "The connective however implies some antecedent discussion of the point which does not appear on the page, and this is a defect in writing."1 44. An adversative within an adversative may be used in two ways. Used as a further turning of the thought, it ordinarily requires to be indicated by a different adversative particle from the main one, else it makes the thought restless and gyrating. There is, however, a highly rhetorical use of the repeated adversative particle, the thought being not successively turned but continued in the same direction, thus securing the emphasis of iterated relation. EXAMPLES. —1. In the following example the effect of the repeated but is simply crude; as if the thought were turned round and then wheeled back again. "He knew that Tyndal was an expert detective and seldom blundered. But he was not quite ready to admit the dangerous doctrine that all men are to be suspected until proved innocent. But he was too wise a clerk to risk informing Captain Adam of what had occurred, lest his own arrest as a confederate should follow." 2 Here if we should say, "He was too wise a clerk, however, to risk," etc., the second adversative is disguised. — The following, from De Quincey, manages the repetition of the adversative with easy grace : "But it is no more than a skirmish which is going on; in the course of which, however, an occasion suddenly arises for a desperate service." 8 2. The following illustrates the rhetorical iteration of the adversative : "Not a hut he builds but is the visible embodiment of a thought; but bears visible record of invisible things; but is, in the transcendental sense, 1 EARLE, English Prose, p. 197. 2 E. P. ROE, The Gray and the Blue, p. 96. 8 DE QUINCEY, Autobiographic Sketches, p. 151. symbolical as well as real." 1-Likewise this from De Quincey: "All is finite in the present; and even that finite is infinite in its velocity of flight towards death. But in God there is nothing finite; but in God there is nothing transitory; but in God there can be nothing that tends to death." 2 Illative and Causal. Illative conjunctions (name derived from the Latin illatum, in-ferre) indicate inference, effect, or consequence. Causal conjunctions introduce a reason or explanation. Both are coördinating, in the sense of pushing the thought to some appended thought of the same grammatical importance. TYPE CONJUNCTIONS AND LIST. The representative of illative conjunctional relation is THEREFORE. Others are: wherefore, hence, whence, consequently, accordingly, thus, so, then, so then. Now is an old-fashioned connective used to introduce a consequence not closely connected with the preceding. The representative of causal conjunctional relation is FOR. Others are: because, and phrasal connectives such as: arising from, owing to, due to, and the like. Most of these may be used either coördinately or subordinately. 45. The kind of inference, as indicated by the adverbial force of the conjunction, is a matter requiring accurate thought, and too often left loose. The word thus is frequently misused, from the variety and vagueness of relation it is made to bear. EXAMPLE. "Two emotions were paramount in his mind: hope that he might perform the task more efficiently than had any of his rivals, and fear lest in any part of it he should fall below his ideal. Thus, being so power fully impelled, he soon distanced all competitors." Here thus, which properly means in this manner, does not express the exact nature of the sequence, and is all the more confusing for being very near the meaning. The word accordingly would be more accurate. 1 CARLYLE, Sartor Resartus, Book iii, Chap. iii. 46. The causal relation, being the one perhaps most readily suggested, can best be trusted to go unmarked by a particle. The constant employment of for, for instance, is a mark of crude writing. EXAMPLE. -"You must have handed me that money when I was not thinking of it. For I found it when I made up my account at night." The word for is superfluous. II. The Subordinating Class. The conjunctions of this class introduce a thought having an ancillary or secondary grammatical relation to a principal assertion; the whole utterance, therefore, consisting of a main assertion with such conditioning and modifying parts as serve to give its true scope and limits. Conditional and Defining. These serve to give conditions, limitations, accompaniments of time, place, and manner, and the like. TYPE CONJUNCTION AND LIST. The representative of conditional conjunctions is IF. The condition may have either a positive implication, as: provided, as, whereas, inasmuch as; or adversative, as: though, although, while, unless, save, except. The particles when, while, where, expressing time and place limitations, are in government just like a conditional particle. For brevity and simplicity we speak of if-clauses and when-clauses as indicating the conditional relation. Seir Example - what to make subordinate 47. The art of subordination and what principal — is something requiring much study of the relative importance of ideas. To put every idea in principal assertion is not composition but mere accretion; but in subordinating one idea to another, study to subordinate the right thing. ILLUSTRATIONS. - Imperfect subordination of ideas is shown in the following: "Henry V. was one of those few young men who give up their youth to carousal and folly, with the resolve that when they are older they will settle down to a steadier life, and who succeed in carrying out their better purpose." Here the two statements cannot equally be made of few young men; it is only the second that can rightly be predicated of them, the first being preparatory to this. The first clause ought therefore to be subordinated in structure to the second; thus: " 'Henry V. was one of those few young men who, having given up their youth . . . with the resolve that. ..., actually succeed in carrying out their better purpose.” The following sentence appears in the Authorized Version of the New Testament: "But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." Here it is evident that the thanks are due not for what is said in the first clause but only for the fact mentioned in the second. The makers of the Revised Version, recognizing this, subordinate thus: "But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered." A poorer verse on the whole, but better subordinated. 48. Subordination by means of a conjunction may be augmented, that is, the subordinate clause made less emphatic and obtrusive, by condensed and rapid structure where occasion permits, and by putting the subordinate clause in an inconspicuous position. The opposite means are relied on when the condition is the important part of the sentence. EXAMPLES. - Note the difference in emphasis between the conditional clauses in the following examples. "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." Here the if-clause attracts comparatively little attention, being buried in the sentence. Compare the following: "But now farewell. I am going a long way With these thou seëst if indeed I go (For all my mind is clouded with a doubt)— Here the if-clause has an emphatic place, being after the principal assertion; and the condition is made distinctive by the word indeed, and the parenthesis following. 49. Subordination inside a clause already subordinate should be made by the use of a different conjunction; else there is danger that the second clause may be read as coördinate with the other instead of subordinate to it. EXAMPLES. 66 - If the man will make full restitution of the stolen goods, if he is honest in his expressed purpose to lead a better life, he may be pardoned." Here the second subordination would be better effected by another conjunction: "provided indeed he is honest," etc. The particle provided would be, perhaps, too prosaic for poetry; but notice the following: : "But thou-if thou wilt seek earnestly unto God, And to the Almighty make supplication, — So be that thou art pure and upright, Verily then He will awake for thee, And will restore the habitation of thy righteousness." 1 Here the second subordination, which evidently must be made tributary to the first, is made consistently with the poetic nature of the passage. Sequential. By this term we may designate those subordinating conjunctions which, instead of indicating an antecedent condition or accompaniment, carry on the assertion to a result or object. TYPE CONJUNCTION AND LIST. — The representative of this kind of conjunctional relation is THAT. Others are in order that, so that, as well as, as much as, whereby. 50. Conjunctions of this class are valuable for prolonging an assertion beyond its natural close until something essential to its full significance is added. A danger to be guarded against, however, is the involved construction which these conjunctions are liable to occasion. NOTE. These conjunctions are derived from the relative and are much like the relative construction in the facility with which they add new elements. An example of their usefulness: "He is so anxious to carry his point that he cares not what point he carries." An example to show the danger of involved construction : "Eusebius tells that Dionysius of Corinth relates that Dionysius the Areopagite, who was converted to the faith by Paul the Apostle, according to the account given in the Acts, was the first bishop of Athens." 2 Here it is evident that the style may easily become strung-out and loose. 1 Revised translation of Job viii. 6, by the author of this book. |