OBS. 17.—­Sometimes a noun that admits no article, is preceded by adjectives that do not describe the same thing; as, “Never to jumble metaphorical and plain language together.”—­Blair’s Rhet., p. 146.  This means, “metaphorical language and plain language;” and, for the sake of perfect clearness, it would perhaps be better to express it so.  “For as intrinsic and relative beauty must often be blended in the same building, it becomes a difficult task to attain both in any perfection.”—­Karnes, El. of Crit., Vol. ii, p. 330.  That is, “intrinsic beauty and relative beauty” must often be blended; and this phraseology would be better.  “In correspondence to that distinction of male and female sex.”—­Blair’s Rhet., p. 74.  This may be expressed as well or better, in half a dozen other ways; for the article may be added, or the noun may be made plural, with or without the article, and before or after the adjectives.  “They make no distinction between causes of civil and criminal jurisdiction.”—­ Adams’s Rhet., Vol. i, p. 302.  This means—­“between causes of civil and causes of criminal jurisdiction;” and, for the sake of perspicuity, it ought to have been so written,—­or, still better, thus:  “They make no distinction between civil causes and criminal.”

NOTES TO RULE I.

NOTE I.—­When the indefinite article is required, a should always be used before the sound of a consonant, and an, before that of a vowel; as, “With the talents of an angel, a man may be a fool.”—­Young.

NOTE II.—­The article an or a must never be so used as to relate, or even seem to relate, to a plural noun.  The following sentence is therefore faulty:  “I invited her to spend a day in viewing a seat and gardens.”—­Rambler, No. 34.  Say, “a seat and its gardens.”

NOTE III.—­When nouns are joined in construction, with different adjuncts, different dependence, or positive contrast, the article, if it belong at all to the latter, must be repeated.  The following sentence is therefore inaccurate:  “She never considered the quality, but merit of her visitors.”—­Wm. Penn.  Say, “the merit.”  So the article in brackets is absolutely necessary to the sense and propriety of the following phrase, though not inserted by the learned author:  “The Latin introduced between the Conquest and [the] reign of Henry the Eighth.”—­Fowler’s E. Gram., 8vo, 1850, p. 42.

NOTE IV.—­When adjectives are connected, and the qualities belong to things individually different, though of the same name, the article should be repeated:  as, “A black and a white horse;”—­i. e., two horses, one black and the other white. “The north and the south line;”—­i. e., two lines, running east and west.