SECTION I.—­THE COMMA.

The Comma is used to separate those parts of a sentence, which are so nearly connected in sense, as to be only one degree removed from that close connexion which admits no point.

RULE I.—­SIMPLE SENTENCES.

A simple sentence does not, in general, admit the comma; as, “The weakest reasoners are the most positive.”—­W.  Allen’s Gram., p. 202.  “Theology has not hesitated to make or support a doctrine by the position of a comma.”—­Tract on Tone, p. 4.

   “Then pain compels the impatient soul to seize
    On promis’d hopes of instantaneous ease.”—­Crabbe.

EXCEPTION.—­LONG SIMPLE SENTENCES.

When the nominative in a long simple sentence is accompanied by inseparable adjuncts, or when several words together are used in stead of a nominative, a comma should be placed immediately before the verb; as, “Confession of sin without amendment, obtains no pardon.”—­Dillwyn’s Reflections, p. 6.  “To be totally indifferent to praise or censure, is a real defect in character.”—­Murray’s Gram., p. 268.

   “O that the tenor of my just complaint,[461]
    Were sculpt with steel in rocks of adamant!”—­Sandys.

RULE II.—­SIMPLE MEMBERS.

The simple members of a compound sentence, whether successive or involved, elliptical or complete, are generally divided by the comma; as,

    1.  “Here stand we both, and aim we at the best.”—­Shak.

    2.  “I, that did never weep, now melt in woe.”—­Id.

    3.  “Tide life, tide death, I come without delay.”—­Id.

    4.  “I am their mother, who shall bar me from them?”—­Id.

    5.  “How wretched, were I mortal, were my state!”—­Pope.

    6.  “Go; while thou mayst, avoid the dreadful fate.”—­Id.

    7.  “Grief aids disease, remember’d folly stings,
       And his last sighs reproach the faith of kings.”—­Johnson.

EXCEPTION I.—­RESTRICTIVE RELATIVES.

When a relative immediately follows its antecedent, and is taken in a restrictive sense, the comma should not be introduced before it; as, “For the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal.”—­2 Cor., iv, 18.  “A letter is a character that expresses a sound without any meaning.”—­St. Quentin’s General Gram., p. 3.

EXCEPTION II.—­SHORT TERMS CLOSELY CONNECTED.

When the simple members are short, and closely connected by a conjunction or a conjunctive adverb, the comma is generally omitted; as, “Honest poverty is better than wealthy fraud.”—­Dillwyn’s Ref., p. 11.  “Let him tell me whether the number of the stars be even or odd.”—­TAYLOR:  Joh.  Dict., w.  Even.  “It is impossible that our knowledge of words should outstrip our knowledge of things.”—­CAMPBELL:  Murray’s Gram., p 359.