OF THE ARRANGEMENT

OF CLAUSES, OR DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF A SENTENCE.

As what has been said concerning the natural order of words is equally applicable to the arrangement of clauses, it will be only necessary shortly to mention, that, as far as they follow the natural order of our ideas, so far, in general, they will be conducive to elegance and perspicuity. But as, in the arrangement of the several clauses of a compound sentence, recourse must be had to a frequent transposition, care must be taken not to throw the sentence into disorder and obscurity. The chief thing, therefore, to be avoided, is the hyperbaton or synchesis, that is, a confused intermixture of words, belonging to one clause, with the words that belong to another, which might materially alter or obscure the sense; as, we would not say, for

Great was my joy, when I received the book from you;

Magnum ego librum cùm abs te accepissem fuit meum gaudium;

Because the reader would not know whether magnum 1eferred to librum or gaudium. As it is, however, of great consequence in composition, how, and what members of a sentence should precede the others, the two following examples may serve more fully to illustrate this. It is necessary that those clauses, which explain and define a thing, should be placed first, or, at least, should, immediately after the nomiative case, or some other introductory word, form the first clause of the sentence, thus:

I wonder that Brutus should have been among the assassins of Cæsar, as he had received so many favours from him: We shall say,

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Miror Brutum, qui a Cæsare tot beneficiis affectus erat, inter ejus interfectores fuisse:

For were we to say, Miror Brutum, inter Cæsaris interfectores fuisse, qui ab eo tot beneficiis affectus erat; the qui,

besides the inelegance of the sentence, might be referred to Cæsar as well as to Brutus.

These rules, however, as we mentioned above, will admit of some exceptions; as, where those divisions that should come first are longer than those that follow; we should not say, Cur illa res tam brevi tempore ac sine negotio fieri potueris, nescio; but, Nescio, cur, &c.; for, in this case, the harmony of the sentence requires that the longer clauses should come last.

Clauses, denoting the place where, and the time when, any thing is done, though they may be last in English, should come in the beginning of the sentence; as,

I shall give you the book as soon as I shall have received it: Librum, cùm primùm accepero, tibi dabo.

1. He had not where to turn himself.

2. You should consider, that you will be in the power of your enemy, in whatever place you may be.

3. Thus the person of the king escaped, while our troops were employed in pillaging these villages.

4. He was guarded first by his own modesty, and then by the vigilance and instruction of his father, as long as his age exposed him to such suspicions.

Clauses, expressing a cause or reason, beginning by quia, quoniam, cùm, quòd, and sometimes cur, must also come first; as,

I shall always love you, because you have conferred numberless favours upon me: Te, quia me innumeris beneficiis affeceris, propterea semper amabo.

1. I could not write to you, because I knew not where you were. 2. But if there could be no reason at all why you should be overwhelmed with so great sorrow, it appears a wonder to all that you betrayed those signs of a weak and degenerate mind.

3. For no one imagined that any man existed, who could immediately enjoy the sweets of undisturbed rest, after having, by the enormity of his guilt, violated every divine and human law; because they, who have been guilty of so foul a crime, not only cannot enjoy calm repose, but not even breathe without horror and trembling.

Clauses denoting any thing conditional, the guides of which are si, nisi, siquidem, &c.; as,

I beg you to forgive me, if I shall say any thing with too great freedom: Ego, si quid liberius dixero, ignoscatis velim. 1. I beg of you to send me the book, if you have it.

2. The atrocity of the deed would scarcely appear credible to mankind, if the parricide were not almost exposed to the manifest view of all.

Clauses denoting a concession, beginning by etsi, etiamsi, quanquam, licet, ut, &c. as,

And though they are many, yet they stand in need of a teacher and experience; Qui, quanquam plurimi sunt, doctorem usumque desiderant.

1. I would not do that, though it were in my power. (It is better to make use of a transposition, with the addition of tamen, and say, ego, quanquam poteram, tamen, &c.)

2. You will determine that there is no occasion for a long speech, though time enough for speaking might have been granted us. (with the addition of tamen in its proper place.)

Interrogative clauses, which mark, at the same time, the extent and object of the thing, known by the particles quis, quid, an, utrum, cur, quomodo, quemadmodum, &c. as, instead of saying, Nescio quis sit; Quis sit, nescio, is more elegant.

1. It is very evident, what is right; but it does not so fully appear (non ita plane), what is expedient.

2. You see what power he had; now hear what actions he performed (quas res gesserit).

3. Concerning which, O judges, I neither can discover how I can speak, nor how I can be silent.

Clauses expressing likeness or comparison, beginning by velut, quasi, ut, tanquam, &c.

1. I was silent, as if I had not heard. (Ego, tanquam.... is better than silui, tanquam.).

2. When this sacrilegious wretch, the enemy and despoiler of every thing sacred and religious, had seen this divine image, he was seized with such a burning desire and madness, as if he himself had received a stroke from that very torch, that he (iste) ordered the magistrates to pull it to pieces (ut eam demoliantur), and deliver it to him.

Relative clauses beginning by qui, qualis, quantus, quot, quoties, quum, quantopere, ut, ubi, should in general be

placed before their corresponding clauses, beginning by is, talis, tantus, tot, toties, tam, tantopere, ita, ibi, expressed or understood; subject, however, to those exceptions, to which we adverted before.

Qui followed by is:

1. God loves those who pursue virtue. (Qui virtuti student, eos, &c. and not Deus amat cos qui.)

2. In those, who have a superior greatness of soul, the desire of money is directed to the acquisition of power (spectat ad opes).

3. I will not say this for the sake of aggravating the circumstances (rerum in pejus augendarum causa), but I will truly explain to you those sensations which I myself received.

So also the compounds of qui and quis, as quicunque, quidquid, &c.

That will remain all your own (totum et proprium tuum), whatever support you afford the commonwealth in these most dangerous times.

Qualis followed by talis; as,

He is just such a man as his father was: Qualis pater fuit, talis hic est.

1. It is easy to perceive, if you wish to retrace the annals of past ages, that the state and the people have always been such as the great men of the state were; and that whatever changes have taken place in the morals of the great, the same will also follow in the people.

2. I beg of you that you would now prove yourself such a man as you have shown yourself before.

Quantus followed by tantus:

So much esteem shall I suppose that you have for me, as you bestow care and attention in the preservation of your health.

Quot followed by tot:

1. You have read almost as many books as I have seen.

2. There are as many stars in the heavens which escape the human sight, as there are which are beheld in the clearest night.

Quoties followed by toties.

1. We cannot but admire the divine wisdom as often as we contemplate the plants, and other productions of the earth.

2. He always came off conqueror, as often as he engaged with the enemy.

Quam followed by tam, and quamdiu by tamdiu :

But if he had been as dark and secret in the execution, as he was daring in the contrivance, he might, on some occasions, have even deceived us; but there is this most fortunate circumstance attending him, that his unparalleled audacity is usually joined with the most singular stupidity.

Quantopere followed by tantopere :

If men studied as much to adorn the mind and cultivate the understanding, as they labour to adorn the body, nothing would be more common than wisdom and virtue.

Ut, quemadmodum, sicut, followed by ita, sic :

1. With the same fortitude ought we to bear not only this calamity, but even the total overthrow of our fortune, as we have borne our former prosperity with calmness and moderation.

2. For he rendered his views and designs most evident to all, in his hope and expectation of corrupting justice, as he was barefaced and open in seizing all the money he could.

But sometimes, as in the following instance, and in forms of adjuration, ita will be more elegantly followed by ut; as,

So may you return safe into your country, after having laid the city in ashes, as you succour the distress of an afflicted father, and listen to his humble petition.

Ubi followed by ibi:

The complexion of the times is such, that every one thinks his own condition the most miserable, and wishes least to be where he is.