Old and _the_ New _Testament_." But, in any such case,
to repeat the article when the noun is made plural, is a huge blunder;
because it implies a repetition of the plural noun. And again, not to
repeat the article when the noun is singular, is also wrong; because it
forces the adjectives to coalesce in describing one and the same thing.
Thus, to say, "_The_ north and south _pole_" is certainly wrong, unless we
mean by it, _one pole_, or _slender stick of wood_, pointing north and
south; and again, to say, "_The_ north and _the_ south _poles_," is also
wrong, unless we mean by it, _several poles at the north_ and _others at
the south_. So the phrase, "_The_ Old and New _Testament_" is wrong,
because we have not _one Testament that is both Old and New_; and again,
"_The_ Old and _the_ New _Testaments_," is wrong, because we have not
several _Old Testaments and several New ones_: at least we have them not in
the Bible.

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_.