Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

Here is a wonderful sentence:
"She knew not how such an offence as hers might be classed by the laws of worldly politeness, to what a degree of unforgivingness it might with propriety lead, nor to what rigours of rudeness in return it might justly make her amenable."
The verb phrase is 'knew not', followed by three lovely and perfectly balanced clauses, starting with 'how such', 'to what', and 'to what'. This is the work of Austen the artist. 

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