What value shall we give this adjective?  We have reached five, but have not yet fully expressed the idea which impresses us. Little must therefore have six degrees.

This is the sole law for all the languages of the world.  There are no two ways of articulating the words of a discourse.  When we learn a discourse by heart in order to deliver it, and take no account of the value of the terms, the divine law is reversed.

Now, if we could introduce an expression here, which would at once enhance the value of the word pleasing, it would evidently be stronger than all the others.  In fact, if the way in which a thing is pleasing can be expressed, it is evident that this manner of being pleasing will rise above the word itself.

We do not know the proportion in which the flower is pleasing.  We will say that it is very pleasing.  This adverb gives the word pleasing a new value.  It is in turn modified.  If we should say immensely, or use any other adverb of quantity, the value would remain the same.  It would still be a modification.  Thus, when we say of God that he is good, immense, infinite, there is always a limitation attached to the idea of God,—­a limitation necessary to our nature.  For God is not good in the way we understand goodness or greatness; but our finite minds need some expression for our idea.

We see the word pleasing modified in turn, and the term which modifies it, is higher than itself. Very pleasing,—­what value shall we give it?  We can give it no more than seven here.

A single word may obliterate the effect produced by all these expressions.  A simple conjunction may be introduced which will entirely modify all we have taken pains to say.  It is a but. But is an entire discourse.  We no longer believe what has been said hitherto, but what follows this word.  This conjunction has a value of eight degrees, a value possible to all conjunctions without exception.  It sums up the changes indicated by subsequent expressions, and embraces them synthetically.  It has, then, a very great oratorical value.

The Conjunction.

1.  We refer here only to conjunctions in the elliptical sense.  The conjunction is an ellipse, because it is the middle term between two members of the sentence which are the extremes; it recalls what has just been said, and indicates what is to come.  Considered in itself, the word and, when elliptical, embraces what has just been said, and what is about to be said.  All this is founded upon the principle that the means are equal to the extremes.

2.  The copulative or enumerative conjunctions, have only two degrees.  We see that a conjunction is not elliptical when, instead of uniting propositions, it unites only ideas of the same character.

3.  Determinative conjunctions have only three degrees.  For example:  “It is necessary that I should work.” That has only three degrees.