13. He shouted in those clear, piercing tones that could be even
heard among the roaring of the cannon.--COOPER.

14. His suspicions were not even excited by the ominous face of
Gerard.--MOTLEY.

15. During the whole course of his administration, he scarcely
befriended a single man of genius.--MACAULAY.

16. I never remember to have felt an event more deeply than his
death.--SYDNEY SMITH.

17. His last journey to Cannes, whence he was never destined to
return.--MRS. GROTE.

USE OF DOUBLE NEGATIVES.

[Sidenote: _The old usage._]

453. In Old and Middle English, two negatives strengthened a
negative idea; for example,--

He _nevere_ yet _no_ vileineye _ne_ sayde,
In al his lyf unto _no_ maner wight.--CHAUCER.

_No_ sonne, were he never so old of yeares, might _not_ marry.
--ASCHAM.

The first of these is equivalent to "He didn't never say no villainy
in all his life to no manner of man,"--four negatives.

This idiom was common in the older stages of the language, and is
still kept in vulgar English; as,--

I tell you she _ain'_ been _nowhar_ ef she don' know we all.
--PAGE, in _Ole Virginia_.

There _weren't no_ pies to equal hers.--MRS. STOWE.

[Sidenote: _Exceptional use._]

There are sometimes found two negatives in modern English with a
negative effect, when one of the negatives is a connective. This,
however, is not common.

I never did see him again, _nor never_ shall.--DE QUINCEY.

However, I did _not_ act so hastily, _neither_.--DEFOE.

The prosperity of no empire, _nor_ the grandeur of _no_ king, can
so agreeably affect, etc.--BURKE.

[Sidenote: _Regular law of negative in modern English._]

But, under the influence of Latin syntax, the usual way of regarding
the question now is, that _two negatives are equivalent to an
affirmative_, denying each other.

Therefore, if two negatives are found together, it is a sign of
ignorance or carelessness, or else a purpose to make an affirmative
effect. In the latter case, one of the negatives is often a prefix; as
_in_frequent, _un_common.

Exercise.

Tell whether the two or more negatives are properly used in each of
the following sentences, and why:--

1. The red men were not so infrequent visitors of the English
settlements.--HAWTHORNE.

2. "Huldy was so up to everything about the house, that the
doctor did