PREFACE. THE writer of the following work, who has had ample opportunities of becoming acquainted with the elements and practice of Punctuation, thinks, for reasons assigned in the Introduction, that he is justified in submitting it to the consideration and judgment of teachers, authors, compositors, and correctors of the press. He does not, indeed, believe his treatise to be perfect; he does not imagine, that all its principles are free from every possible objection, or unsusceptible of modification and improvement: but he is of opinion, that his little work is, in some respects, superior to others on the subject; and that, if carefully studied, it will prove exceedingly useful, by conducing, in many instances, to point out the true import of sentences, and to solve their ambiguities; to save a great deal of unnecessary vexation to those who are connected with the press; and to remove sources of annoyance, not only to the generality of readers, but to such as possess taste and a considerable amount of information. Eighteen years ago, the writer published a little book, designed solely for printers, and of which a chief portion consisted of matters belonging to punctuation; the groundwork being mainly, but not altogether, the treatise of Lindley Murray on that subject, introduced into the larger edition of his Grammar. That book has been long out of print, and would have been republished, but that, with an increase of years, the writer trusts he has had an accession of experience, which enables him to understand more of the practical bearings of the science of which he has treated. He therefore ventures to publish the present work, so different in its arrangement from the former, and so much augmented, as to entitle it to be regarded as, to a great extent, new. The author, however, desires it to be understood, that he has not thought proper to refuse the assistance of other writers: but he has blended their suggestions with, or qualified them by, the dictates of his own observation and experience; he has frequently thrown them into his own language; he has endeavoured to simplify them, by presenting them in new, and, as he thinks, in improved forms; and has inserted much, that, though existing in practical operation, he could not find anywhere in books; having devoted pages to the elucidation of some of the points, which by most grammarians are despatched in a few lines, having no reference to the difficulties which must often present themselves to a learner. - By the uninterrupted employment of a larger type, it would have been easy to increase the bulk of the volume, and to augment its price; but, for the sake of general utility, as well as for that of cheapness to the purchaser, it has been deemed preferable to use various sizes of letter, corresponding, in some degree, to the importance of the subjects discussed; the remarks having been put on a smaller character, in order that they may either be passed over, or form a portion of the lessons, according to the discretion of the teacher, and the capacity of the pupil. To show the various adaptations of the rules, numerous examples have been given; and, for the purpose of improving the taste and exercising the judgment of the student, there have been appended to the rules copious exercises, partly borrowed from works on the subject, but in the main extracted immediately from books having no direct reference to sentential marks; - the punctuation in the examples having been altered, when deemed erroneous or deficient. Desirous that this treatise should be as free from objection as possible, and that it should be rendered perfectly suited to meet the wants of those for whose use it is intended, the writer will gratefully accept of any suggestions that may be offered, with the view of reconsidering any particular rule, principle, or remark, and of making such modifications in future editions as may be deemed necessary. YORK BUILDINGS, VICTORIA BRIDGE, SALFORD, February, 1844. |