Interpreting a sentence

[Jonathan Lighter]

Yes and yes (though the second yes is more inferential).

The passage might also be clearer with "and" instead of "but."
JL

On Tue, Feb 8, 2011 at 11:32 AM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Interpreting a sentence
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> I am reading the following sentence (in email, so I excuse the typo):
>
> >Criminal law in New England was created on the whole by people who
> >had found life in Europe too lax, but were considered extremists,
> >and persecuted, by their contemmporaries [sic] Europeans.
>
> Is it fair to assume that "criminal law in New England was created on
> the whole by people who had found life in Europe too lax"  is the
> opinion of the writer of this sentence, rather than the opinion of
> "their contemporaneous Europeans"?
>
> Is it fair to assume that the "criminal law was founded ..." part
> implies the belief (whether held by the writer or held by the
> contemporaneous Europeans) that the New Englanders created a criminal
> law that was severe in order to overcome the laxness they saw in Europe?
>
> Joel
>
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