An English Grammar Part 65

But _by_ this time the bell of Old Alloway began tolling.--B.

TAYLOR

The angel came _by_ night.--R.H. STODDARD.

(3) _Agency_ or _means_.

Menippus knew which were the kings _by_ their howling louder.--M.D. CONWAY.

At St. Helena, the first port made _by_ the ship, he stopped.

--PARTON.

(4) _Measure of excess_, expressing the degree of difference.

At that time [the earth] was richer, _by_ many a million of acres.--DE QUINCEY.

He was taller _by_ almost the breadth of my nail.--SWIFT.

(5) It is also used in _oaths and adjurations_.

_By_ my faith, that is a very plump hand for a man of eighty-four!--PARTON.

They implore us _by_ the long trials of struggling humanity; _by_ the blessed memory of the departed; _by_ the wrecks of time; _by_ the ruins of nations.--EVERETT.

Exercise.--Find sentences with three different meanings of _by_.

For.

321. The chief meanings of for are as follows:--

(1) _Motion towards_ a place, or a tendency or action toward the attainment of any object.

Pioneers who were opening the way _for_ the march of the nation.--COOPER.

She saw the boat headed _for_ her.--WARNER.

(2) _In favor of_, _for the benefit of_, _in behalf of_, a person or thing.

He and they were _for_ immediate attack.--PARKMAN

The people were then against us; they are now _for_ us.--W.L.

GARRISON.

(3) _Duration of time_, or _extent of s.p.a.ce_.

_For_ a long time the disreputable element outshone the virtuous.--H.H. BANCROFT.

He could overlook all the country _for_ many a mile of rich woodland.--IRVING.

(4) _Subst.i.tution_ or _exchange_.

There are gains _for_ all our losses.--STODDARD.

Thus did the Spaniards make b.l.o.o.d.y atonement _for_ the butchery of Fort Caroline.--PARKMAN.

(5) _Reference_, meaning _with regard to_, _as to_, _respecting_, etc.

_For_ the rest, the Colonna motto would fit you best.--EMERSON.

_For_ him, poor fellow, he repented of his folly.--E.E. HALE

This is very common with _as_--_as for_ me, etc.

(6) Like _as_, meaning _in the character of_, _as being_, etc.

"Nay, if your worship can accomplish that," answered Master Brackett, "I shall own you _for_ a man of skill indeed!"

--HAWTHORNE.

Wavering whether he should put his son to death _for_ an unnatural monster.--LAMB.

(7) _Concession_, meaning _although_, _considering that_ etc.

"_For_ a fool," said the Lady of Lochleven, "thou hast counseled wisely."--SCOTT

By my faith, that is a very plump hand _for_ a man of eighty-four!--PARTON.

(8) Meaning _notwithstanding_, or _in spite of_.

But the Colonel, _for_ all his t.i.tle, had a forest of poor relations.--HOLMES.

Still, _for_ all slips of hers, One of Eve's family.--HOOD.

(9) _Motive, cause, reason, incitement to action._

The twilight being...hardly more wholesome _for_ its glittering mists of midge companies.--RUSKIN.

An Arab woman, but a few sunsets since, ate her child, _for_ famine.--_Id._

Here Satouriona forgot his dignity, and leaped _for_ joy.--PARKMAN.

(10) _For_ with its object preceding the infinitive, and having the same meaning as a noun clause, as shown by this sentence:--

It is by no means necessary _that he should devote his whole school existence to physical science_; nay, more, it is not necessary for _him to give up more than a moderate share of his time to such studies_.--HUXLEY.

Exercise.--Find sentences with five meanings of _for_.