CRITICAL NOTES TO THE GENERAL RULE.
CRITICAL NOTE I.—OF THE PARTS OF SPEECH.
Words that may constitute different parts of speech, must not be left doubtful as to their classification, or to what part of speech they belong.
CRITICAL NOTE II.—OF DOUBTFUL REFERENCE.
The reference of words to other words, or their syntactical relation according to the sense, should never be left doubtful, by any one who means to be understood.
CRITICAL NOTE III.—OF DEFINITIONS.
A definition, in order to be perfect, must include the whole thing, or class of things, which it pretends to define, and exclude every thing which comes not under the name.
CRITICAL NOTE IV.—OF COMPARISONS.
A comparison is a form of speech which requires some similarity or common property in the things compared; without which, it becomes a solecism.
CRITICAL NOTE V.—OF FALSITIES.
Sentences that convey a meaning manifestly false, should be changed, rejected, or contradicted; because they distort language from its chief end, or only worthy use; which is, to state facts, and to tell the truth. CRITICAL NOTE VI.—OF ABSURDITIES.
Absurdities, of every kind, are contrary to grammar, because they are contrary to reason, or good sense, which is the foundation of grammar.
CRITICAL NOTE VII.—OF SELF-CONTRADICTION.
Every writer or speaker should be careful not to contradict himself; for what is self-contradictory, is both null in argument, and bad in style.
CRITICAL NOTE VIII.—OF SENSELESS JUMBLING.
To jumble together words without care for the sense, is an unpardonable negligence, and an abuse of the human understanding.
CRITICAL NOTE IX.—OF WORDS NEEDLESS.
Words that are entirely needless, and especially such as injure or encumber the expression, ought in general to be omitted.
CRITICAL NOTE X.—OF IMPROPER OMISSIONS.
Words necessary to the sense, or even to the melody or beauty of a sentence, ought seldom, if ever, to be omitted.
CRITICAL NOTE XI.—OF LITERARY BLUNDERS.
Grave blunders made in the name of learning, are the strongest of all certificates against the books which contain them unreproved.
CRITICAL NOTE XII.—OF PERVERSIONS.
Proof-texts in grammar, if not in all argument, should be quoted literally; and even that which needs to be corrected, must never be perverted.
CRITICAL NOTE XIII.—OF AWKWARDNESS.
Awkwardness, or inelegance of expression, is a reprehensible defect in style, whether it violate any of the common rules of syntax or not.
CRITICAL NOTE XIV.—OF IGNORANCE.
Any use of words that implies ignorance of their meaning, or of their proper orthography, is particularly unscholarlike; and, in proportion to the author's pretensions to learning, disgraceful.
CRITICAL NOTE XV.—OF SILLINESS. Silly remarks and idle truisms are traits of a feeble style, and, when their weakness is positive, or inherent, they ought to be entirely omitted. CRITICAL NOTE XVI.—OF THE INCORRIGIBLE.
Passages too erroneous for correction, may be criticised, orally or otherwise, and then passed over without any attempt to amend them.[445]