signification, do not admit the addition of the words. more, most, or of the terminations er, est. The following passages are therefore liable to exception :

The last are indeed more preferable, because they are founded on some new knowledge or improvement in the mind of man.-Addison, Spectator.

From these various causes, which in a greater or lesser degret affected every individual in the colony, the indignation of the people became general.-Robertson's Hist. of America.

The chiefest of which was known by the name of Archon among the Grecians.-Dryden's Life of Plutarch.

The two chiefest properties of air, its gravity and elastic force, have been discovered by mechanical experiments.—Arbuthnot's Essay on Mathematical Learning.

The chiefest and largest are removed to certain magazines they call libraries.-Swift's Battle of the Books.

The extremest parts of the earth were meditating a submission.— Atterbury's Sermons.

Money, in a word, is the most universal incitement of human misery.-Gibbon's Decline and Fall.

When only two objects are compared together, it is improper to use the superlative degree. It is proper to say the more elegant of the two, the most elegant of the three. This obvious rule has however been neglected by various writers of eminence.

This was in reality the easiest manner of the two.-Shaftesbury's Advice to an Author.

In every well-formed mind this second desire seems to be the strongest of the two.-Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments.

Were it not for this, the secondary rocks, being in position superincumbent on the primary, ought to be the highest of the two.Playfair's Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory.

The question is not whether a good Indian or bad Englishman be most happy, but which state is desirable, supposing virtue and reason to be the same in both.-Johnson's Life of Drake.

Of impossibility there are no degrees; and we must therefore condemn such phraseology as occurs in the following quotations:

As it was impossible they should know the words, thoughts, and secret actions of all men, so was it more impossible they should pass judgment on them according to these things.—Whitby's Necessity of the Christian Revelation.

It will every day be more impossible to engage in that occupation. Edinburgh Review, vol. xxi., p. 23.

The adjective antiquarian is not unfrequently used as a substantive, but the more legitimate form is antiquary.

Adjectives are sometimes improperly used as ad

verbs:

I shall endeavour to live hereafter suitable to a man in my station. -Addison, Spectator.

The queen having changed her ministry suitable to her own wisdom.-Swift, Examiner.

He behaved himself conformable to that blessed example.-Sprat's Sermons.

His expectations run high, and the fund to supply them is extreme scanty. Lancaster's Essay on Delicacy.

I can never think so very mean of him.-Bentley's Dissertation on Phalaris.

There is scarce any society so wretched as to be destitute of some sort of weak provision against the injustice of their governors.— Mackintosh's Discourse on the Study of the Law of Nature and Nations.

The twofold action of heat to expand and to melt, could scarce be pointed out more clearly by any system of appearances.-Playfair's Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory.

In these examples, the idiom of the language requires the adverbs, suitably, conformably, extremely, meanly, and scarcely.

Grammatical Errors in the Use of Negative and Disjunctive Particles.

That neither partiality or prejudice appear, but that truth may everywhere be sacred.-Dryden's Life of Plutarch.

There is another use that, in my opinion, contributes rather to make a man learned than wise, and is neither capable of pleasing the understanding or imagination.-Addison on Medals.

These, like a hand with an inscription, can point out the straight way upon the road, but can neither tell you the next turnings, resolve your doubts, or answer your questions, like a guide that has traced it over, and perhaps knows it as well as his chamber.-Temple on Ancient and Modern Learning.

He was early charged by Asinius Pollio as neither faithful or exact.-Ledwich's Antiquities of Ireland.

Neither Cellarius or d'Anville have sufficiently attended to this object.-Vincent's Voyage of Nearchus.

He was neither an object of derision to his enemies, or of melancholy pity to his friends.-Junius's Letters.

The legitimate correlative of neither is nor.

We need not, nor do not, confine the purposes of God.-Bentley's Sermons.

In the growth and stature of souls as well as bodies, the common productions are of different sizes, that occasion no gazing, nor no wonder.-Temple on Ancient and Modern Learning.

I'll prove by twenty-five substantial reasons, that you're no composer, nor know no more of music than you do of algebra.-Arbuthnot's Harmony in an Uproar.

Nor is danger ever apprehended in such a government from the violence of the sovereign, no more than we commonly apprehend danger from thunder or earthquakes.-Hume's Essays.

Among them the people were obliged to consider, not what was safe, but what was necessary; and could not always defend themselves against usurpations, neither by legal forms, nor by open war, -Ferguson's Hist. of the Roman Republic.

In each of these sentences there is a double negative, which in English amounts to an affirmative.

In the following quotation nor is used for or :

There are few scenes more affecting, nor which more deeply engage our sympathy.-Disraeli's Calamities of Authors.

FOREIGN IDIOMS.

The use of such constructions as belong to the idiom of another language, is, like every species of affectation, to be avoided. An author may sometimes happen to admit them through mere inadvertency, but he may likewise have recourse to them in order to display his erudition.

Solomon was of this mind; and I make no doubt but he made as wise and true proverbs as anybody has done since; Him only excepted, who was a much greater and wiser man than Solomon.— Tillotson's Sermons.

The affectation of foreign idioms is well exemplified in the following imaginary letter by Hannah Moore :

Alamode Castle.

Dear Madam, I no sooner found myself here than I visited my new apartments, which are composed of five pieces; the small room, which gives upon the garden is practised through the great one.

and there is no other issue. As I was exceeded with fatigue, I no sooner made my toilette, than I let myself fall upon a bed of repose when sleep came to surprise me. My lord and I are in the intention to make good cheer, and a great expense, and this country is in possession to furnish wherewithal, to amuse oneself. All that England has of illustrious-all that youth has of amiable, or beauty of ravishing sees itself in this quarter. Render yourself here then, my friend, and you shall find all that is assembled of best, &c.

Certain nouns, adjectives, and verbs require particular prepositions after them, e.g. :—

differ from
different from
disappointed in, of
divide between (two)
among (more than two)
emerge from
enjoin upon
foreign to
healed of
impose upon
independent of
militate against
necessary to
opposite to
prevail upon
reconcile to, with
reflect upon
rejoice at
rely upon
replete with
sensible of

thirst after, for

I shall here subjoin some examples of prepositions, which, if not applied according to the idiom of other languages, are at least applied contrary to the general usage of our standard writers.

The only actions to (upon) which we have always seen, and still see all of them intent, are such as tend to the destruction of one another.-Burke's Vindication of Natural Society.

To (with) which, as Bishop Burnet tells us, the Prince of Orange was willing to comply.-Bolingbroke's Dissertation on Parties.

He had been perplexed with a long compliance to (with) foreign manners. Sprat's Life of Cowley.

Your character, which I, or any other writer may now value ourselves by (upon) drawing, will probably be dropt, on account of the

* See l'art III. page 75.

antiquated style and manner they are delivered in.-Swift on the English Tongue.

The discovery he made and communicated with (to) his friends. -Swift's Tale of a Tub.

The people being only convoked upon such occasions, as, by this institution of Romulus, fell into (under) their cognizance.-Swift's Contests and Dissensions in Athens and Rome.

Not from any personal hatred to them, but in justification to (of) the best of queens.-Swift, Examiner.

The wisest princes need not think it any diminution to (of) their greatness, or derogation to (from) their sufficiency, to rely upon counsel.-Bacon's Essays.

A supercilious attention to minute formalities, is a certain indication of a little mind, conscious to (of) the want of innate dignity.Hawkesworth's Almoran and Hamet.

He found the greatest difficulty of (in) writing.-Hume's Hist. of England.

The esteem which Philip had conceived of (for) the ambassador. -Ibid.

The greatest difficulty was found of (in) fixing just sentiments.— Ibid.

The Christians were driven out of all their Asiatic possessions, in acquiring of which (in acquiring which) incredible numbers of men had perished.-Robertson's View of Society.

You know the esteem I have of (for) his philosophy.—Kames's Law Tracts.

Meanwhile the prudence of Gylippus profited of (by) the fame of his victory. Gillies's Hist. of Greece.

He is so resolved of (on) going to the Persian court.-Bentley's Dissert. on Themistocles's Epistles.

Neither the one nor the other shall make me swerve out of (from) the path which I have traced to myself.-Bolingbroke's Letter to Wyndham.

I do likewise dissent with (from) the Examiner.-Addison, Whig Examiner.

Dr. Johnson (with (from) whom I am sorry to differ in opinion) has treated it as a work of merit.-Scott's Critical Essays.

Ovid, whom ye accuse for (of) luxuriancy of verse.—Dryden on Dramatic Poesy.

If policy can prevail upon (over) force.—Addison's Travels. This effect we may safely say, no one beforehand could have promised upon.-Hume's Hist. of England.

A greater quantity may be taken from the heap, without making any sensible alteration upon (in) it.-Hume's Essays.

Every office of command should be intrusted to persons on (in) whom the parliament shall confide.-Macaulay's History of England.

All of which required abundance of finesse and delicatesse to manage with advantage, as well as a strict observance after (of) times and fashions.-Swift's Tale of a Tub.