“Nature instantly ebb’d again—­the film returned to its place—­the pulse flutter’d—­stopp’d—­went on—­throbb’d—­stopp’d again—­mov’d—­stopp’d—­shall I go on?—­No.”—­STERNE:  ib., p. 307.

“Write ten nouns of the masculine gender.  Ten of the feminine.  Ten of the neuter.  Ten indefinite in gender.”—­Pardon Davis’s Gram., p. 9.

“The Infinitive Mode has two tenses—­the Indicative, six—­the Potential, two—­the Subjunctive, six, and the Imperative, one.”—­Frazee’s Gram., Ster.  Ed., p. 39; 1st Ed., 37.  “Now notice the following sentences.  John runs,—­boys run—­thou runnest.”—­Ib., Ster.  Ed., p. 50; 1st Ed., p. 48.

“The Pronoun sometimes stands for a name—­sometimes for an adjective—­a sentence—­a part of a sentence—­and, sometimes for a whole series of propositions.”—­O.  B. Peirce’s Gram., 1st Ed., 12mo, p. 321.

   “The self-applauding bird, the peacock, see—­
    Mark what a sumptuous pharisee is he!”—­Cowper, i, 49.

SECTION VI.—­THE EROTEME.

The Eroteme, or Note of Interrogation, is used to designate a question.

RULE I.—­QUESTIONS DIRECT.

Questions expressed directly as such, if finished, should always be followed by the note of interrogation; as, “Was it possible that virtue so exalted should be erected upon injustice? that the proudest and the most ambitious of mankind should be the great master and accomplished pattern of humility? that a doctrine so pure as the Gospel should be the work of an uncommissioned pretender? that so perfect a system of morals should be established on blasphemy?”—­Jerningham’s Essay, p. 81.

   “In life, can love be bought with gold? 
    Are friendship’s pleasures to be sold?”—­Johnson.

RULE II.—­QUESTIONS UNITED.

When two or more questions are united in one compound sentence, the comma, semicolon, or dash, is sometimes used to separate them, and the eroteme occurs after the last only; as, 1.  “When—­under what administration—­under what exigencies of war or peace—­did the Senate ever before deal with such a measure in such a manner?  Never, sir, never.”—­D.  Webster, in Congress, 1846.

    2.  “Canst thou, and honour’d with a Christian name,
       Buy what is woman-born, and feel no shame;
       Trade in the blood of innocence, and plead
       Expedience as a warrant for the deed?”—­Cowper.

    3.  “Truths would you teach, or save a sinking land? 
       All fear, none aid you, and few understand.”—­Pope.

RULE III.—­QUESTIONS INDIRECT.

When a question is mentioned, but not put directly as a question, it loses both the quality and the sign of interrogation; as, “The Cyprians asked me why I wept.”—­Murray.