should always specify the terms connected. In many instances, however, he
may conveniently abbreviate his explanation, by parsing the conjunction as
connecting "what precedes and what follows;" or, if the terms are
transposed, as connecting its own clause to the second, to the third, or to
some other clause in the context.

OBS. 4.--However easy it may appear, for even the young parser to _name the
terms_ which in any given instance are connected by the conjunction, and of
course to know for himself _what these terms are_,--that is, to know what
the conjunction does or does not, connect,--it is certain that a multitude
of grammarians and philosophers, great and small, from Aristotle down to
the latest modifier of Murray, or borrower from his text, have been
constantly contradicting one an other, if not themselves, in relation to
this matter. Harris avers, that "the Conjunction connects, _not Words, but
Sentences_;" and frames his definition accordingly. See _Hermes_, p. 237.
This doctrine is true of some of the conjunctions, but it is by no means
true of them all. He adds, in a note, "Grammarians have usually considered
the Conjunction as connecting rather single Parts of Speech, than whole
Sentences, and that too with the addition of like with like, Tense with
Tense, Number with Number, Case with Case, &c. This _Sanctius_ justly
explodes."--_Ib._, p. 238. If such has been the usual doctrine of the
grammarians, they have erred on the one side, as much as our philosopher,
and his learned authorities, on the other. For, in this instance, Harris's
quotations of Latin and Greek writers, prove only that Sanctius, Scaliger,
Apollonius, and Aristotle, held the same error that he himself had
adopted;--the error which Latham and others now inculcate, that, "There are
always _two propositions_ where there is one Conjunction."--_Fowler's E.
Gram._, 8vo, 1850, p. 557.

OBS. 5.--The common doctrine of L. Murray and others, that, "Conjunctions
connect the same moods and tenses of verbs, and cases of nouns and
pronouns," is not only badly expressed, but is pointedly at variance with
their previous doctrine, that, "Conjunctions very often unite sentences,
when they appear to unite only words; as in the following instances: 'Duty
_and_ interest forbid vicious indulgences;' 'Wisdom _or_ folly governs us.'
Each of these forms of expression," they absurdly say, "contains two
sentences."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 124; _Smith's_, 95; _Fisk's_, 84