Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/411

 COL ( 2

COLON, in Grammar, a Point, or Charafler form'd thus [ : ] ferving 10 mark a Paufe, and to divide the Mem- bers ofaPeriod. See Pointing; fee alfoPERioD,and Comma.

Grammarians generally affign the Ufe of a Colon to be to mark the Middle of a Period ; or to conclude a Senfe lefs perfect than the Dot, or Period : But, a Senfe left perfect than the 'Period, is an Expreffion infinitely vague and inde- terminate. See Period.

Othcts fay, a Colon is to be ufed when the Senfe is perfect, but the Sentence not concluded : but neither is this over clear and exprefs. Add to this, that in Practice our beft Wri- ters confound the Colon with the Semicolon.

F. Huffier, with his ufual accuracy, attempts to fix the Ufe of the Colon; but does not much diftinguifh it from the Semicolon : he prefcribes the ufe of either, indifferently ; and calls 'em by a common Name, Intermediate 'Pointings ; as being Mediums between the Comma and Full-point, or Period. Their Ufe, according to this Author, is to diflin- guiffi the fupernumerary Members of a Period.

By fupernumerary Members, are meant, fuch as the precedent ones don't raife any Expectation of; i. e. fuch Parts, as have indeed a Dependence on what goes before, even tho what goes before has a compleat Senfe, independent hereon: v. g. The Auguflan Age -was fo eminent for good Toots, that they have ferv'd as Models to all others : yet did it not yield any good 'Tragic 'Poets. Where the fupernumerary Member, and the Ufe of the Colon are obvious.

The raofl obvious and fenfible Ufe of the Colon, he adds, is when the fupernumerary Member is diftinguifh'd by fome Conjunctions ; as notwithstanding, however, but, except that, unlefs.inafmuch as, yet, fince, the rather as, provided that, ($c.

Some, indeed, ufe the Colon in the Middle of long Periods, without any regard to fupernumerary Members : which Cuf- tom was probably introdue'd, to mark that the Breath is here to be taken almoft as much as in a common Period, in the Place where the fupernumerary Period commences. But this, at bell, is arbitrary; and the intermediate Pointings may always be omitted in a Period, if there be no fupernu- merary Member; ;. e. if there be no fubfequent Member, but what is expected from the precedent.

As to the Occafions where the Colon is to be ufed, rather than the Semicolon, there is nothing precife to be faid of it ; except that the Colon lhews the fupernumerary Member more detach'd, and fets it at a greater diftance from the reft ; and therefore marks a longer paufe than the Semicolon.

Accordingly, it feems preferable to the Semicolon before Conjunctions Adverfative, Reftriclive, Conditional, £=V- as, neverthelefs, but, excepting that, however, othcrwife, pro- vided that. Again, where the fupernumerary Phrafes not on- ly fuppofe the precedent, but depend on 'em for their Re- gimen ; and are, as it were, new Parts thereof: there the Semicolon feems preferable to the Colon, v. g. Toil are re- gar die fs of the Goodneft of God, who fir ft cbofe you ; a God who is only jealous of your Heart for your own Happinefs ; a God who could he equally glorious in deftroying you by his Juftice, as in faving you by his Mercy. Or thus : The 'Dtfcourfc confifted of two Tarts ; in the firft wasjhewn the Neccffiiy of fighting ; in the fecond, the Advantages that wou'd redound from it.

But this Difference, it muft be own'd, has a Dependence on fomething that influences all the Points, and fways the whole Doctrine of Punctuation ; viz. the length, or ftiort- nefs of the Members and Periods : For when the Phrafes are long, we point higher than when ihort.

A late Author, in a very ingenious little Difcourfe, de Ra- tione Intcrpungendi, marks the Office of the Colon, and where in it differs from the Semicolon, &c. much more prccife- ly: A Colon, on his Principles, ferves to diftinguifli thofe con- junct Members of a Sentence, which are capable of being divided into other Members ; whereof one, at leaft, is con- junct. See Sentence.

Thus, in the Sentence, As we cannot difcem the Shadow moving along the Dial-plate, So the Advances we make in Knowledge are only per ceiv'd by theTliftance gone over ; the two Members being both fimple, arc only feparated by a Com- ma : In this, As we perceive the Shadow to have movedjmt did not perceive it moving; So our Advances in Underftanding, m that they arnfifi of fuch -minute Steps, are only perceivable by the 1)1 fiance ; the Sentence being divided into two equal Parts, and thofe conjunct ones, fince they include others ; we ieparate the former by a Semicolon, and the latter by Com- mas : But in this, As we perceive the Shadow to have moved along the Dial, but did not perceive it moving ; and it ap- pears the Grafs has grown, tho no body ever faw it grow : So the Advances we make in Knowledge, as they confift of fuch minute Steps, are only perceivable by the Diftance. The Advancement in Knowledge is compar'd to the Motion of a (shadow, and the Growth of Grafs; which Comparifon di- vides the Sentence into two ptincipal Parts : But fince what is laid of the Movement of the Shadow, and likewife of the Cirowth-ot Grafs, contains two fimple Members, they are to be feparated by a Semicolon ; confequcntly, a higher Point-

57)

COL

ing is requir'd to feparare 'em from the other Part of the Sentence, wh.ch they are oppofed to : And this is a Colon. bee Punctuation.

Colon, in Anatomy, is the fecond of the thick Intcftines. See Intestine.

_ The Colon is placed between the Cecum and ReBum ■ and is wider than either of them : In length it is eight or nine iiands. It begins where the Ilion ends, viz. in the Cavity ot the Os Ilium on the right Side ; whence, afcending by the JS.iar.ey on the fame fide, it pafles under the concave Side of r^ni^j':,' Wh,ch h " f °n>eri*>es ty'd, as likewife to the Ijau-Blactder, which tinges it yellow in that place : Then it runs under the bottom of the Stomach to the Spleen in the lett side, to which it is alfo knit ; from thence it turns down to the left Kidney; and thence paffing in form of an turn a ' Upper Fa " ° f the 0s Sacrum in lhe Rec -

a A p th f J? eginn ,! n S of 'his Gut, there is a Valve form'd by the Production of the inmoft Coat of the Interlines in this place ; which hinders the Excrements, when once fallen in- to the -Colon from returning again to the Ilium.

it has a lfrong Ligament, which running along its upper Side from the Ilmm to the RcBum, ftrengthen? it againft the Weight of the Excrements, and draws' it together into Cells ; which with the Valvule Conmventes, retard the Paf- lages ot the Excrements, that we may not be continually obhg d to be going to Stool. See Excrements.

lhe ffefhy Fibres of its fecond Coat are greater and ftron- ger than thofe of the other Interlines ; becaufe a greater Strength is requifite to caufe the Excrements to afcend.

lhe chief Deiign of the Colon's furroundinn the Abdo- men, and, with the ReBlim, touching all the Parts contained in it, eems to be, that by immediate Fomentation with Clyf- ters, they might be eas'd of their Maladies. See Clyster. _ Some derive the Word from *«*■;«, to retard ; in regard tis m the Folds of this Intefline that the Excrements are ftoppd and form'd. Others fetch it from hoVao. hollow; on account of its Capacity : Others again from mJTt^a, to be tormented; in regard of the grievous Pain it frequently undergoes. 1 J

'Tis from this Part that the Colic takes its Name. See Colic.

COLONEL, an Officer in the Army, who has the Com- mand of a Regiment, either of Horfe, Foot, or Dragoons. See Regiment.

In the French Army, Colonel is confin'd to the Infantry and Dragoons : the commanding Officer of a Regiment of Horle, they ufually call Mefter de Camp.

Skinner derives the Word from Colony ; being of Opinion, the Chiefs of Colonies might give their Name to the Chief ot Forces.

Colonel Lieutenant, is he who commands a Regiment of Guards, whereof the King, Prince, or other Perfon of the firft Eminence is Colonel. See Guards.

Thefe Colonels Lieutenants have always a Colonel's. Com- miflion, and are ufually General Officers.

Lieutenant Colonel, is the fecond Officer in the Regi- ment ; who is at the Head of the Captains, and commands in the abience of the Colonel. See Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Colonel of Horfe, or Dragoons, is the firft Cap- tain of the Regiment. See Captain.

COLONNADE, a Periflyle, of a' circular Figure • or a Series of Columns, dilpos'd in a Circle, and infulated within- hde. See peristyle.

Such is that of the little Park at Verfailles, which confifts of 32 Ionic Columns; all of folid Marble, and without In- crultation.

_ A "Polyftyle Colonnade, isthat whofenumberof Columns is too great to be taken in by the Eye at a fingle View. Such is the .Colonnade of the Palace of St. Peter at Rome; which confifts of 28* Columns of the Doric Order, each above

J^r^ an half Diam ««; all in Tlburtine Marble

COLONY, a •Plantation, or Company of People, of all Sexes and Conditions, tranfported into a remote Province in order to cultivate and inhabit it. See Plant ation

We may diftinguifh three Kinds of Colonies : The firft ferves to cafe, or difcharge the Inhabitants of a Country ; where the People are become too numerous, fo that they cannot any longer conveniently fubfift.

The fecond are thofe eiiablifh'd by victorious Princes and People, in the middle of vannuifh'd Nations, to keep 'em in awe and obedience.

■ T J? e n third may be call ' d Colm '! " "f Commerce ; becaufe, in effect, tis Trade is the fole Occafion and Object thereof. Twas by means of the firft kind of Colonies, that fome Ages after the Deluge, the Eaft, firft, and fucceffively all the other Parts of the Earth became inhabited : And with- out mentioning any thing of the 'Phenician and Grecian Co- lonies, fo famous in antient Hiftory, 'tis notorious that it was for the Eftablifhment of fuch Colonies, that during the Dc- clenfion of the Empire, thofe Torrents of barbarous Nations iffuing, for the generality, out of the North, overrun the x x x Gauls,