other things: as, when we say, "he is a tall is a fair day," we make some reference to size of men, and to different weather. The Positive State expresses the འ object, without any increase or dimi good, wise, great. The Comparative Degree increase the positive in signification: as, wi less wise. The Superlative Degree increase the positive to the highest or lowest wisest, greatest, least wise. The simple word, or positive, comparative, by adding r or er; ar lative, by adding st or est, to the wise, wiser, wisest; great, greater, the adverbs more an most, placed b jective, have the same effect; as, wi most wise. The termination ish may be accounted i gree of comparison, by which the significa ed below the positive: as, black, black blackness; salt, saliish, or having a little The word rather, is very properly used degree or excess of a quality : as, "She in her expenses." Monosyllables, for the most part, are co est; and dissyllables by more and most: mildest; frugal, more frugal, most fru ending in y; as, happy, lovely; and in able, ample; or accented on the last sy polite; easily admit of er and est : abler, ablest; politer. politest. Words syllables hardly ever admit of those term as, In some words the superlative is form adverb most to the end of them; as, most or utmost, undermost, uppermost, t: as, good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; little, least; much or many, more, most; near, nearer, est or next; late, later, latest or last; old, older or r, oldest or eldest ;" and a few others. n Adjective put without a substantive, with the defiarticle before it, becomes a substantive in sense and aning, and is written as a substantive; as, "Providence ards the good, and punishes the bad." Various nouns placed before other nouns assume the nae of adjectives; as, sea fish, wine vessel, com field, adow ground, &c. Numeral adjectives are either cardinal, or ordinal: caral, as, one, two, three, &c.; ordinal, as, first, second, rd, &c. SECT. 2. Remarks on the subject of Comparison. If we consider the subject of comparison attentively, we all perceive that the degrees of it are infinite in number, at least, indefinite.-A mountain is larger than a mite; by how many degrees? How much bigger is the earth an a grain of sand? By how many degrees was Socrates ser than Alcibiades; or by how many is snow whiter an this paper? It is plain, that to these and the like estions, no definite answers can be returned. In quantities, however, that may be exactly measured, e degrees of excess may be exactly ascertained. A foot just twelve times as long as an inch; and an hour is sixtimes the length of a minute. But, in regard to quali. es, and to those quantities which cannot be measured xactly, it is impossible to say how many degrees may be omprehended in the comparative excess. But though these degrees are infinite or idefinite in fact, hey cannot be so in language; nor would it be convenient, language were to express many of them. In regard to nmeasured quantities and qualitics, the degrees of more nd less, (besides those marked above,) may be expressed ntelligibly, at least, if not accurately, by certain adverbs, or words of like import; as, "Socrates was much wiser than Alcibiades;" "Snow is a great deal whiter than this pa per;" Epaminondas was by far the most accomplished of E Deity is infinitely greater than the greatest tures." The inaccuracy of these and the lik is not a material inconvenience; and, if it w voidable for human speech can only ex thought; and where thought is necessari language must be so too. When the word very, exceedingly, or any lar import, is put before the positive, it is writers the superlative of eminence, to disti the other superlative, which has been alread and is called the superlative of comparison eloquent, is termed the superlative of emine quent, the superlative of comparison. In of eminence, something of comparison is, ho ly or indirectly intimated; for we cannot re man very eloquent, without comparing his e the eloquence of other men. The comparative may be so employed, as same pre-eminence or inferiority as the sup the sentence, "Of all acquirements, virtue i able," conveys the sentiment as the followi more valuable than every other acquirement CHAPTER V. Of PRONOUNS. A PRONOUN is a word used instea to avoid the too frequent repetitio word: as, "The man is happy; lent, he is useful." There are three kinds of pron PERSONAL, the RELATIVE, and th PRONOUNS.. SECT. 1. Of the Personal Pro THERE are five Personal Pro thou, he, she, it; with their plurals they. Personal pronouns admit of p gender, and case. 15 me me poison hou, is the second person e, or you, is the second person They, is the third person Singular. Plural. his account of persons will be very intelligible, when reflect, that there are three persons who may be the ect of any discourse: first, the person who speaks, may k of himself; secondly, he may speak of the person to m he addresses himself: thirdly, he may speak of some r person and as the speakers, the person spoken to, the other persons spoken of, may be many, so each of -e persons must have the plural number. The numbers of pronouns, like those of subntives, are two, the singular and the plural: I, thou, he; we, ye or you, they. Gender has respect only to the gular of the pronouns he, she, it. ine; she is feminine; it is neuter. third person He is mas The persons speaking and spoken to, being at the same e the subjects of the discourse, are supposed to be pret; from which, and other circumstances, their sex is mmonly known, and needs not be marked by a distincn of gender in pronouns: but the third person or thing oken of, being absent, and in many respects unknown, s necessary that it should be marked by a distinction of nder; at least when some particular person or thing is oken of, that ought to be more distinctly marked: acrdingly the pronoun singular of the third person has the ee genders, he, she, it. Pronouns have three cases; the nominative, e possessive, and the objective. The objective case of a pronoun has, in general, a form fferent from that of the nominative, or the possessive case. Person. Case. Singular. Plu First. Nom. Poss. Obj. Second. Nom. Poss. Obj. Third. Nom. He. Mas. Poss. His. Obj. Him. Third. Nom. SECT. 2. Of the Relative Pro RELATIVE Pronouns are such general to some word or phrase going is thence called the antecedent; which, and that: as, "The man lives virtuously."t What is a kind of compound rel both the antecedent and the relativ ly equivalent to that which as, wanted;" that is to say, wanted." : "the If this possessive case were, like his class sessive pronouns, there would be no possi them. †The relative pronoun, when used interro word or phrase, which is not antecedent but tive. See note under the VIth Rule of Synta |