haved the noblest, because they were disinterested." They should have been, “more nobly; most nobly."-The adjective pronoun such is often misapplied: as, "He was such an extravagant young man, that he spent his whole patrimony in a few years:" it should be, “so extravagant a young man." "I never before saw such large trees:" "saw trees so large." When we refer to the species or nature of a thing, the word such is properly applied : as, "Such a temper is seldom found: but when degree is signified, we use the word so: as, "So bad a temper is

seldom found."

Adverbs are likewise improperly used as adjectives: as, "The tutor addressed him in terms rather warm, but şuitably to his offence;" "suitable," "They were en wandering about solitarily and distressed;" "solitary.” "He lived in a manner agreeably to the dictates of reason and religion;""agreeable " " The study of syntax should be previously to that of punctuation :" "previous.”

5. Double comparatives and superlatives should be avoided : such as, "A worser conduct;" "On lesser hopes;" "A more serener temper;" "The most straitest sect;" "A more superior work." They should be, worse conduct;" "less hopes ;" "a more serene temper;""the straitest sect;"" a superior work.”

6. Adjectives that have in themselves a superlative signification, do not properly admit of the superlative or comparative form superadded: such as, "Chief, cxtreme, perfect, right, universal, supreme," &c.; which are some. times improperly written, "Chiefest, extremest, perfectest, rightest, most universal, most supreme, &c. The following expressions are therefore improper. “He sometimes claims admission to the chiefest offices." "The quarrel became so universal and national :" thod of attaining the rightest and greatest happiness." The phrases, so perfect, so right, so extreme, so universal, &c. are incorrect; because they imply that one thing is less perfect, less extreme, &c. than another, which is not possible.

"A me

*For the rule to determine, whether an adjective or an adverb is to be used, see English exercises. Eleventh edition, page 113.

7. Inaccuracies are often found in the way in which the degrees of comparison are applied and constructed. The following are examples of wrong construction in this respect: "This noble nation hath, of all others, admitted fewer corruptions." The word fewer is here construed precisely as if it were the superlative. It should be, “This noble nation hath admitted fewer corruptions than any other." We commonly say, "This is the weaker of the two;" or, "The weakest of the two:" but the former is the regular mode of expression, because there are only two things compared. "The voite of covetousness is what enters deepest into the soul of any other "He celebrates the church of England as the most perfect of all others." Both these modes of expression are faulty: we should not say, "The best of any man," or, "The best of any other man," for "the best of men." The sentences may be corrected by substituting the comparative in the room of the superlative. "The vice, &c. is what enters deeper into the soul than any other." "He celebrates, &c. as more perfect than any other." It is also possible to retain the superlative, and render the expression grammatical. "Covetousness, of all vices, enters the deepest into the soul." "He celebrates, &c. as the most perfect of all churches. These sentences contain other errors, against which it is proper to caution the learner. The words deeper and deepest, being intended for adverbs, should have been more deeply, most deeply. The phrases more perfect and most perfect, are improper; because perfection admits of no degrees of comparison. We may say nearer or nearest to perfection, or more or less imperfect.

8. In some cases, adjectives should not be separated from their substantives, even by words which modify their meaning, and make but one sense with them: as, "A large enough number surely." It should be, "A number large enough." "The lower sort of people are good enough judges of one not very distant from them."

as,

The adjective is usually placed before its substantive : "A generous man ;" "How amiable a woman !" The

instances in which it comes after the substantive, are the following.

1st, When something depends upon the adjective; and when it gives a better sound, especially in poetry: as, 66 A man generous to his enemies;" "Feed me with food convenient for me;" "A tree three feet thick;" "A body of troops fifty thousand strong;" "The torrent tumbling through rocks abrupt."

2d, When the adjective is emphatical: as, "Alexander the Great;" "Lewis the Bold;""Goodness infinite ;" "Wisdom unsearchable."

3d, When several adjectives belong to one substantive : as, "A man, just, wise, and charitable ;" "A woman, modest, sensible, and virtuous."

4th, When the adjective is preceded by an adverb : as, "A boy regularly studious;" "a girl unaffectedly modest."

5th, When the verb to be, in any of its variations, comes between a substantive and an adjective, the adjective may frequently either precede or follow it: as, "The man is happy;" or, 66 happy is the man who makes virtue his choice;""The interview was delightful;" or 66 delightful was the interview."

6th, When the adjective expresses some circumstance of a substantive placed after an active verb: as, "Vanity often renders its possessor despicable." In an exclamatory sentence, the adjective generally precedes the substantive; as, "How despicable does vanity often render its

possessor!"

There is sometimes great beauty, as well as force, in placing the adjective before the verb, and the substantive immediately after it: as, "Great is the Lord! just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!"

Sometimes the word all is emphatically put after a number of particulars comprehended under it." Ambition, interest, honour, all concurred." Sometimes a substantive, which likewise comprehends the preceding particulars, is used in conjunction with this adjective: as, "Royalists, republicans, churchmen, sectaries, courtiers, patriots, all parties, concurred in the illusion."

An adjective pronoun, in the plural number, will some

times properly associate with a singular noun: as, “Our desire, your intention, their resignation." This association applies rather to things of an intellectual nature, than to those which are corporeal. It forms an exception to the general rule.

A substantive with its adjective is reckoned as one compounded word, whence they often take another adjective, and sometimes a third, and so on: as, “An old man; a good old man; a very learned, judicious, good old man."

Though the adjective always relates to a substantive, it is, in many instances, put as if it were absolute; especially where the noun has been mentioned before, or is easily understood, though not expressed: as, "I often survey the green fields, as I am very fond of green;""The wise, the virtuous, the honoured, famed, and great," that is, "persons;" "The twelve;" that is, " apostles;" "Have compassion on the poor; be feet to the lame, and eyes to the blind."

:

Substantives are often used as adjectives. In this case, the word so used is sometimes unconnected with the substantive to which it relates; sometimes connected with it by a hyphen and sometimes joined to it, so as to make the two words coalesce. The total separation is proper, when either of the two words is long, or when they cannot be fluently pronounced as one word: as, an adjective pronoun, a silver watch, a stone cistern: the hyphen is used, when both the words are short, and are readily pronounced as a single word: as coal-mine, corn-mill, fruittree the words coalesce, when they are readily pronounced together, have a long established association; and are in frequent use: as, honeycomb, gingerbread, inkhorn, Yorkshire.

Sometimes the adjective becomes a substantive, and has another adjective joined to it: as, "The chief good;" "The vast immense of space.'

When an adjective has a preposition before it, the substantive being understood, it takes the nature of an adverb, and is considered as an adverb: as, "In general, in particular, in haste," &c.; that is, "Generally, particularly, hastily."

Enow was formerly used as the plural of enough; but it is now obsolete.

RULE IX.

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66

The article a or an agrees with nouns in the singular number only, individually or collectively: " as, "A christian, an infidel, a score, a thousand.”

The definite article the may agree with nouns in the singular and plural number; as, "The garden, the houses, the stars."

The articles are often properly omitted: when used they should be justly applied, according to their distinct nature: as, "Gold is corrupting; the sea is green; a lion is bold."

It is of the nature of both the articles to determine or

limit the thing spoken of. A determines it to be one single thing of the kind, leaving it still uncertain which the determines which it is, or of many, which they are.

The following passage will serve as an example of the different uses of a and the, and of the force of the substantive without any article. "Man was made for society, and ought to extend his good will to all men: but a man will naturally entertain a more particular kindness for the men, with whom he has the most frequent intercourse; and enter into a still closer union with the man whose temper and disposition suit best with his own."

As the articles are sometimes misapplied, it may be of some use to exhibit a few instances: "And I persecuted this way unto the death." The apostle does not mean any particular sort of death, but death in general: the definite article therefore is improperly used: it ought to be "unto death," without any article.

"When he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth;" that is, according to this translation, "into all truth whatsoever, into truth of all kinds;" very different from the meaning of the evangelist, and from the original," into all the truth ;" that is, "into all evangelical truth, all truth necessary for you to know."