y to pretend to arm
ourselves against the accidents of life, by heaping up treasures, which
nothing can protect us against but the good providence of our Heavenly
Father." _Which_, in this sentence, grammatically refers to _treasures;_
and this would convert the whole period into nonsense. The sentence
should have been thus constructed, "It is folly to pretend, by heaping
up treasures, to arm ourselves against the _accidents_ of life, against
_which_ nothing can protect us but the good providence of our Heavenly
Father."

STRENGTH. By the _strength_ of a sentence is meant such an arrangement
of its several words and members, as exhibits the sense to the best
advantage, and gives every word and member its due weight and force.

1. The first rule for promoting the strength of a sentence, is, to _take
from it all redundant words and members._ Whatever can be easily
supplied in the mind, should generally be omitted; thus, "Content with
deserving a triumph, he refused the honor of it," is better than to say,
"_Being_ content with deserving a triumph." &c. "They returned back
again to the same city from whence they came forth." If we expunge from
this snort sentence _five_ which are were expletives, it will be much
more neat and forcible thus, "They returned to the city whence they
came." But we should be cautious of pruning so closely as to give a
hardness and dryness to the style. Some leaves must be left to shelter
and adorn the fruit.

2. _Particular attention to the use of copulatives, relatives, and all
the particles employed for transition and connexion, is required_. In
compositions of an elevated character, the _relative_ should generally
be inserted. An injudicious repetition of _and_ enfeebles style; but
when enumerating objects which we wish to have appear as distinct from
each other as possible, it may be repeated with peculiar advantage;
thus, "Such a man may fall a victim to power; but truth, _and_ reason,
_and_ liberty, would fall with him."

3. _Dispose of the capital word or words in that part of the sentence in
which they will make the most striking impression_.

4. _Cause the members of a sentence to go on rising in their importance
one above another_. In a sentence of two members, the longer should
generally be the concluding one.

5. _Avoid concluding a sentence with an adverb, a preposition, or any
inconsiderable word, unless it be emphatical_.

6. _Where two things are compared or contrasted wi