terms in particular contradict each other; as, “He will never consent, not he, no, never, nor I neither.”  “He will not have time, no, nor capacity neither.”—­Bolingbroke, on Hist., p. 103.  “Many terms and idioms may be common, which, nevertheless, have not the general sanction, no, nor even the sanction of those that use them.”—­Campbell’s Rhet., p. 160; Murray’s Gram., 8vo, p. 358.  And as to the equivalence spoken of in the same rule, such an expression as, “He did not say nothing,” is in fact only a vulgar solecism, take it as you will; whether for, “He did not say anything,” or for, “He did say something.”  The latter indeed is what the contradiction amounts to; but double negatives must be shunned, whenever they seem like blunders.  The following examples have, for this reason, been thought objectionable; though Allen says, “Two negatives destroy each other, or elegantly form an affirmation.”—­Gram., p. 174.

------------“Nor knew I not
To be both will and deed created free.”
—­Milton, P. L., B. v., l. 548.

   “Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale
    From her moist continent to higher orbs.”
        —­Ib., B. v, l. 421.

OBS. 15.—­Under the head of double negatives, there appears in our grammars a dispute of some importance, concerning the adoption of or or nor, when any other negative than neither or nor occurs in the preceding clause or phrase:  as, “We will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image.”—­Dan., iii., 18.  “Ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.”—­Neh., ii, 20.  “There is no painsworthy difficulty nor dispute about them.”—­Horne Tooke, Div., Vol. i, p. 43.  “So as not to cloud that principal object, nor to bury it.”—­Blair’s Rhet., p. 115; Murray’s Gram., p. 322.  “He did not mention Leonora, nor her father’s death.”—­Murray’s Key, p. 264.  “Thou canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth.”—­Ib., p. 215.  The form of this text, in John iii, 8th. is—­“But canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth;” which Murray inserted in his exercises as bad English.  I do not see that the copulative and is here ungrammatical; but if we prefer a disjunctive, ought it not to be or rather than nor?  It appears to be the opinion of some, that in ail these examples, and in similar instances innumerable, nor only is proper.  Others suppose, that or only is justifiable; and others again, that either or or nor is perfectly correct.  Thus grammar, or what should be grammar, differs in the hands of different men!  The principle to be settled here, must determine the correctness or incorrectness of a vast number of very common expressions.  I imagine that none of these opinions is warrantable, if taken in all that extent to which each of them has been, or may be, carried.