The Grammar of English Grammars Part 29

"Solon's the veryest fool in all the play."--_Dryden, from Persius_, p.

475.

[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_veryest_" here retains the final _y_ of its primitive _very_. But, according to Rule 13th, "The final _y_ of a primitive word, when preceded by a consonant, is generally changed into _i_ before an additional termination." Therefore, this _y_ should be changed to _i_; thus, _veriest_.]

"Our author prides himself upon his great slyness and shrewdness."--_Merchant's Criticisms_. "This tense, then, implys also the signification of _Debeo_."--_B. Johnson's Gram. Com._, p. 300. "That may be apply'd to a Subject, with respect to something accidental."--_Ib._, p.

133. "This latter accompanys his Note with a distinction."--_Ib._, p. 196.

"This Rule is defective, and none of the Annotators have sufficiently supply'd it."--_Ib._, p. 204. "Though the fancy'd Supplement of Sanctius, Scioppius, Vossius, and Mariangelus, may take place."--_Ib._, p. 276. "Yet as to the commutableness of these two Tenses, which is deny'd likewise, they are all one."--_Ib._, p. 311. "Both these Tenses may represent a Futurity implyed by the dependence of the Clause."--_Ib._, p. 332. "Cry, cries, crying, cried, crier, decrial; Shy, shyer, shyest, shyly, shyness; Fly, flies, flying, flier, high-flier; Sly, slyer, slyest, slyly, slyness; Spy, spies, spying, spied, espial; Dry, drier, driest, dryly, dryness."--_Cobb's Dict._ "Cry, cried, crying, crier, cryer, decried, decrier, decrial; Shy, shyly, shily, shyness, shiness; Fly, flier, flyer, high-flyer; Sly, slily, slyly, sliness, slyness; Ply, plyer, plying, pliers, complied, compiler; Dry, drier, dryer, dryly, dryness."--_Webster's Dict._, 8vo. "Cry, crier, decrier, decrial; Shy, shily, shyly, shiness, shyness; Fly, flier, flyer, high-flier; Sly, slily, slyly, sliness, slyness; Ply, pliers, plyers, plying, complier; Dry, drier, dryer, dryly, dryness."--_Chalmers's Abridgement of Todd's Johnson_. "I would sooner listen to the thrumming of a dandyzette at her piano."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 24. "Send her away; for she cryeth after us."--_Felton's Gram._, p. 140. "IVYED, _a._ Overgrown with ivy."--_Todd's Dict._, and _Webster's_.

"Some dryly plain, without invention's aid, Write dull receipts how poems may be made."--_Pope_.

UNDER RULE XII.--OF FINAL Y.

"The gaiety of youth should be tempered by the precepts of age."--_Mur.

Key_, p. 175.

[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_gaiety_" does not here retain the final _y_ of the primitive word _gay_. But, according to Rule 12th, "The final _y_ of a primitive word, when preceded by a vowel, should not be changed into _i_ before an additional termination." Therefore, this _y_ should be retained; thus, _gayety_.]

"In the storm of 1703, two thousand stacks of chimnies were blown down, in and about London."--See _Red Book_, p. 112. "And the vexation was not abated by the hacknied plea of haste."--_Ib._, p. 142. "The fourth sin of our daies is lukewarmness."--_Perkins's Works_, p. 725. "G.o.d hates the workers of iniquity, and destroies them that speak lies."--_Ib._, p. 723.

"For, when he laies his hand upon us, we may not fret."--_Ib._, p. 726.

"Care not for it; but if thou maiest be free, choose it rather."--_Ib._, p.

736. "Alexander Severus saith, 'He that buieth, must sell: I will not suffer buyers and sellers of offices.'"--_Ib._, p. 737. "With these measures fell in all monied men."--SWIFT: _Johnson's Dict._ "But rattling nonsense in full vollies breaks."--POPE: _ib., w. Volley_. "Vallies are the intervals betwixt mountains."--WOODWARD: _ib._ "The Hebrews had fifty-two journies or marches."--_Wood's Dict._ "It was not possible to manage or steer the gallies thus fastened together."--_Goldsmith's Greece_, Vol. ii, p. 106. "Turkies were not known to naturalists till after the discovery of America."--_See Gregory's Dict._ "I would not have given it for a wilderness of monkies."--See _Key_. "Men worked at embroidery, especially in abbies."--_Constable's Miscellany_, Vol. xxi, p. 101. "By which all purchasers or mortgagees may be secured of all monies they lay out."--TEMPLE: _Johnson's Dict._ "He would fly to the mines and the gallies for his recreation."--SOUTH: _Ib._

"Here pullies make the pond'rous oak ascend."--GAY: _ib._

------------"You need my help, and you say, Shylock, we would have monies."--SHAKSPEARE: _ib._

UNDER RULE XIII.--OF IZE AND ISE.

"Will any able writer authorise other men to revise his works?"--_Author._

[FORMULES.--1. Not proper, because the word "_authorise_" is here written with _s_ in the last syllable, in stead of _z_. But, according to Rule 13th, "Words ending in _ize_ or _ise_ sounded alike, as in _wise_ and _size_, generally take the _z_ in all such as are essentially formed by means of the termination." Therefore, this _s_ should be _z_; thus, _authorize_.

2. Not proper again, because the word "_revize_" is here written with _z_ in the last syllable, in lieu of _s_. But, according to Rule 13th, "Words ending in _ize_ or _ise_ sounded alike, as in _wise_ and _size_, generally take the _s_, in monosyllables, and all such as are essentially formed by means of prefixes." Therefore, this _z_ should be _s_; thus, _revise_.]

"It can be made as strong and expressive as this Latinised English."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 295. "Governed by the success or the failure of an enterprize."--_Ib._, Vol. ii, pp. 128 and 259. "Who have patronised the cause of justice against powerful oppressors."--_Ib._, pp.

94 and 228; _Merchant_, p. 199. "Yet custom authorises this use of it."--_Priestley's Gram._, p. 148. "They surprize myself, * * * and I even think the writers themselves will be surprized."--_Ib._, Pref., p. xi. "Let the interest rize to any sum which can be obtained."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 310. "To determin what interest shall arize on the use of money."--_Ib._, p. 313. "To direct the popular councils and check a rizing opposition."--_Ib._, p. 335. "Five were appointed to the immediate exercize of the office."--_Ib._, p. 340. "No man ever offers himself [as] a candidate by advertizing."--_Ib._, p. 344. "They are honest and economical, but indolent, and dest.i.tute of enterprize."--_Ib._, p. 347. "I would however advize you to be cautious."--_Ib._, p. 404. "We are accountable for whatever we patronise in others."--_Murray's Key_, p. 175. "After he was baptised, and was solemnly admitted into the office."--_Perkins's Works_, p. 732. "He will find all, or most of them, comprized in the Exercises."--_British Gram._, Pref., p. v. "A quick and ready habit of methodising and regulating their thoughts."--_Ib._, p. xviii. "To tyrannise over the time and patience of his reader."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. iii.

"Writers of dull books, however, if patronised at all, are rewarded beyond their deserts."--_Ib._, p. v. "A little reflection, will show the reader the propriety and the _reason_ for emphasising the words marked."--_Ib._, p. 163. "The English Chronicle contains an account of a surprizing cure."--_Red Book_, p. 61. "Dogmatise, to a.s.sert positively; Dogmatizer, an a.s.serter, a magisterial teacher."--_Chalmers's Dict._ "And their inflections might now have been easily a.n.a.lysed."--_Murray's Gram._, 8vo, Vol. i, p. 113. "Authorize, disauthorise, and unauthorized; Temporize, contemporise, and extemporize."--_Walkers Dict._ "Legalize, equalise, methodise, sluggardize, womanise, humanize, patronise, cantonize, gluttonise, epitomise, anatomize, phlebotomise, sanctuarise, characterize, synonymise, recognise, detonize, colonise."--_Ibid._

"This BEAUTY Sweetness always must comprize, Which from the Subject, well express'd will rise."

--_Brightland's Gr._, p. 164.

UNDER RULE XIV.--OF COMPOUNDS.

"The glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward."--COMMON BIBLES: _Isa._, lviii, 8.

[FORMULE--Not proper, because the compound word "_rereward_" has not here the orthography of the two simple words _rear_ and _ward_, which compose it. But, according to Rule 14th, "Compounds generally retain the orthography of the simple words which compose them." And, the accent being here unfixed, a hyphen is proper. Therefore, this word should be spelled thus, _rear-ward_.]

"A mere vaunt-courier to announce the coming of his master."--_Tooke's Diversions_, Vol. i, p. 49. "The parti-coloured shutter appeared to come close up before him."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 233. "When the day broke upon this handfull of forlorn but dauntless spirits."--_Ib._, p. 245. "If, upon a plumbtree, peaches and apricots are ingrafted, no body will say they are the natural growth of the plumbtree."--_Berkley's Minute Philos._, p.

45. "The channel between Newfoundland and Labrador is called the Straits of Bellisle."--_Worcester's Gaz._ "There being nothing that more exposes to Headach." [127]--_Locke, on Education_, p. 6. "And, by a sleep, to say we end the heartach."--SHAK.: _in Joh. Dict._ "He that sleeps, feels not the toothach."--ID., _ibid._ "That the shoe must fit him, because it fitted his father and granfather."--_Philological Museum_, Vol. i, p. 431. "A single word, mispelt, in a letter, is sufficient to show, that you have received a defective education."--_Bucke's Gram._, p. 3. "Which mistatement the committee attributed to a failure of memory."--_Professors' Reasons_, p.

14. "Then he went through the Banquetting-House to the scaffold."-- _Smollett's England_, Vol. iii, p. 345. "For the purpose of maintaining a clergyman and skoolmaster."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 355. "They however knew that the lands were claimed by Pensylvania."--_Ib._, p. 357. "But if you ask a reason, they immediately bid farewel to argument."--_Red Book_, p.

80. "Whom resist stedfast in the faith."--SCOTT: 1 _Peter_, v, 9. "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine."--_Acts_, ii, 42. "Beware lest ye also fall from your own stedfastness."--_2 Peter_, iii, 17.

"_Galiot_, or _galliott_, a Dutch vessel, carrying a main-mast and a mizen-mast."--_Web. Dict._ "Infinitive, to overflow; Preterit, overflowed; Participle, overflown."--_Cobbett's E. Gram._, (1818,) p. 61. "After they have mispent so much precious Time."--_British Gram._, p. xv. "Some say, two _handsfull_; some, two _handfulls_; and others, two _handfull_."-- _Alex. Murray's Gram._, p. 106. "Lapfull, as much as the lap can contain."--_Webster's Octavo Dict._ "Darefull, full of defiance."-- _Walker's Rhym. Dict._ "The road to the blissfull regions, is as open to the peasant as to the king."--_Murray's Key_, 8vo, p. 167. "Mis-spel is _mis-spell_ in every Dictionary which I have seen."--_Barnes's Red Book_.

p. 303. "Downfal; ruin, calamity, fall from rank or state."--_Johnson's Dict._ "The whole legislature likewize acts az a court."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 340. "It were better a milstone were hanged about his neck."--_Perkins's Works_, p. 731. "Plum-tree, a tree that produces plums; Hog-plumbtree, a tree."--_Webster's Dict._ "Trisyllables ending in _re_ or _le_, accent the first syllable."--_Murray's Gram._, p. 238.

"It happen'd on a summer's holiday, That to the greenwood shade he took his way."

--_Churchill's Gr._, p. 135.

UNDER RULE XV.--OF USAGE.

"Nor are the modes of the Greek tongue more uniform."--_Murray's Gram._, p.

112.

[FORMULE.--Not proper, because the word "_modes_" is here written for _moods_, which is more common among the learned, and usually preferred by Murray himself. But, according to Rule 15th, "Any word for the spelling of which we have no rule but usage, is written wrong if not spelled according to the usage which is most common among the learned." Therefore, the latter form should be preferred; thus, _moods_, and not _modes_.]

"If we a.n.a.lize a conjunctive preterite, the rule will not appear to hold."--_Priestley's Gram._, p. 118. "No landholder would have been at that expence."--_Ib._, p. 116. "I went to see the child whilst they were putting on its cloaths."--_Ib._, p. 125. "This stile is ostentatious, and doth not suit grave writing."--_Ib._, p. 82. "The king of Israel, and Jehosophat the king of Judah, sat each on his throne."--_Mur. Gram._, p. 165, _twice_; _Merchant's_, 89; _Churchill's_, 300. "The king of Israel, and Jehosaphat the king of Judah, sat each on his throne."--_Lowth's Gram._, p. 90; _Harrison's_, 99; _Churchill's_, 138; _Wright's_, 148. "Lisias, speaking of his friends, promised to his father, never to abandon them."--_Murray's Gram._, Vol. ii, pp. 121 and 253. "Some, to avoid this errour, run into it's opposite."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 199. "Hope, the balm of life, sooths us under every misfortune."--_Merchants Key_, p. 204. "Any judgement or decree might be heerd and reversed by the legislature."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 340. "A pathetic harang wil skreen from punishment any knave."--_Ib._, p. 341. "For the same reezon, the wimen would be improper judges."--_Ibid._ "Every person iz indulged in worshiping az he pleezes."--_Ib._, p. 345. "Most or all teechers are excluded from genteel company."--_Ib._, p. 362. "The Kristian religion, in its purity, iz the best inst.i.tution on erth."--_Ib._, p. 364. "Neether clergymen nor human laws hav the leest authority over the conscience."--_Ib._, p. 363. "A gild is a society, fraternity, or corporation."--_Red Book_, p. 83. "Phillis was not able to unty the knot, and so she cut it."--_Ib._, p. 46. "An aker of land is the quant.i.ty of one hundred and sixty perches."--_Ib._, p. 93.

"Oker is a fossil earth combined with the oxid of some metal."--_Ib._, p.

96. "_Genii_, when denoting aerial spirits: _Geniuses_, when signifying persons of genius."--_Mur.'s Gram._, i, p. 42. "_Genii_, when denoting aeriel spirits; _Geniuses_, when signifying persons of genius."--_Frost's Gram._, p. 9. "_Genius_, Plu. _geniuses_, men of wit; but _genii_, aerial beings."--_Nutting's Gram._, p. 18. "Aerisius, king of Argos, had a beautiful daughter, whose name was Danae."--_Cla.s.sic Tales_, p. 109. "Phaeton was the son of Apollo and Clymene."--_Ib._, p. 152. "But, after all, I may not have reached the intended Gaol."--_Buchanan's Syntax_, Pref., p. xxvii.

"'Pitticus was offered a large sum.' Better: 'A large sum was offered to Pitticus.'"--_Kirkham's Gram._, p. 187. "King Missipsi charged his sons to respect the senate and people of Rome."--See _ib._, p. 161. "For example: Gallileo invented the telescope."--_Ib._, pp. 54 and 67. "Cathmor's warriours sleep in death."--_Ib._, p. 54. "For parsing will enable you to detect and correct errours in composition."--_Ib._, p. 50.

"O'er barren mountains, o'er the flow'ry plain, Extends thy uncontroul'd and boundless reign."--_Dryden_.

PROMISCUOUS ERRORS IN SPELLING.

LESSON I.--MIXED.

"A bad author deserves better usage than a bad critick."--POPE: _Johnson's Dict., w. Former_. "Produce a single pa.s.sage superiour to the speech of Logan, a Mingo chief, delivered to Lord Dunmore, when governour of Virginia."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. 247. "We have none synonimous to supply its place."--_Jamieson's Rhetoric_, p. 48. "There is a probability that the effect will be accellerated."--_Ib._, p. 48. "Nay, a regard to sound hath controuled the public choice."--_Ib._, p. 46. "Though learnt from the uninterrupted use of gutterel sounds."--_Ib._, p. 5. "It is by carefully filing off all roughness and inequaleties, that languages, like metals, must be polished."--_Ib._, p. 48. "That I have not mispent my time in the service of the community."--_Buchanan's Syntax_, Pref., p. xxviii.

"The leaves of maiz are also called blades."--_Webster's El.

Spelling-Book_, p. 43. "Who boast that they know what is past, and can foretel what is to come."--_Robertson's Amer._, Vol. i, p. 360. "Its tasteless dullness is interrupted by nothing but its perplexities."-- _Abbott's Teacher_, p. 18. "Sentences constructed with the Johnsonian fullness and swell."--_Jamieson's Rhet._, p. 130. "The privilege of escaping from his prefatory dullness and prolixity."--_Kirkham's Elocution_, p. iv. "But in poetry this characteristick of dulness attains its full growth."--_Ib._, p. 72. "The leading characteristick consists in an increase of the force and fullness."--_Ib._, p. 71. "The character of this opening fulness and feebler vanish."--_Ib._, p. 31. "Who, in the fullness of unequalled power, would not believe himself the favourite of heaven?"--_Ib._, p. 181. "They marr one another, and distract him."--_Philological Museum_, Vol. i, p. 433. "Let a deaf worshipper of antiquity and an English prosodist settle this."--_Rush, on the Voice_, p.

140. "This phillipic gave rise to my satirical reply in self-defence."-- _Merchant's Criticisms_. "We here saw no inuendoes, no new sophistry, no falsehoods."--_Ib._ "A witty and humourous vein has often produced enemies."--_Murray's Key_, p. 173. "Cry holla! to thy tongue, I pr'ythee: it curvetts unseasonably."--_Shak._ "I said, in my slyest manner, 'Your health, sir.'"--_Blackwood's Mag._, Vol. xl, p. 679. "And attornies also travel the circuit in pursute of business."--_Red Book_, p. 83. "Some whole counties in Virginia would hardly sel for the valu of the dets du from the inhabitants."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 301. "They were called the court of a.s.sistants, and exercized all powers legislativ and judicial."--_Ib._, p.

340. "Arithmetic is excellent for the guaging of liquors."--_Murray's Gram._, 8vo, p. 288. "Most of the inflections may be a.n.a.lysed in a way somewhat similar."--_Ib._, p. 112.

"To epithets allots emphatic state, Whilst princ.i.p.als, ungrac'd, like lacquies wait."

--_C. Churchill's Ros._, p. 8.

LESSON II.--MIXED.

"Hence it [less] is a privative word, denoting dest.i.tution; as, fatherless, faithless, pennyless."--_Webster's Dict., w. Less._ "_Bay_; red, or reddish, inclining to a chesnut color."--_Same._ "_To mimick_, to imitate or ape for sport; _a mimic_, one who imitates or mimics."--_Ib._ "Counterroil, a counterpart or copy of the rolls; Counterrolment, a counter account."--_Ib._ "Millenium, the thousand years during which Satan shall be bound."--_Ib._ "Millenial, pertaining to the millenium, or to a thousand years."--_Ib._ "Thraldom; slavery, bondage, a state of servitude."--See _Johnson's Dict._ "Brier, a p.r.i.c.kly bush; Briery, rough, p.r.i.c.kly, full of briers; Sweetbriar, a fragrant shrub."--See _Johnson, Walker, Chalmers, Webster, and others_. "_Will_, in the second and third Persons, barely foretels."--_British Gram._, p. 132. "And therefor there is no Word false, but what is distinguished by Italics."--_Ib._, Pref., p. v. "What should be repeted is left to their Discretion."--_Ib._, p. iv. "Because they are abstracted or seperated from material Substances."--_Ib._, p. ix. "All Motion is in Time, and therefor, where-ever it exists, implies Time as its Concommitant."--_Ib._, p. 140. "And illiterate grown persons are guilty of blameable spelling."--_Ib._, Pref., p. xiv. "They wil always be ignorant, and of ruf uncivil manners."--_Webster's Essays_, p. 346. "This fact wil hardly be beleeved in the northern states."--_Ib._, p. 367. "The province however waz harra.s.sed with disputes."--_Ib._, p. 352. "So little concern haz the legislature for the interest of lerning."--_Ib._, p. 349. "The gentlemen wil not admit that a skoolmaster can be a gentleman."--_Ib._, p.

362. "Such absurd qui-pro-quoes cannot be too strenuously avoided."--_Churchill's Gram._, p. 205. "When we say, 'a man looks _slyly_;' we signify, that he a.s.sumes a _sly look_."--_Ib._, p. 339.

"_Peep_; to look through a crevice; to look narrowly, closely, or slyly."--_Webster's Dict._ "Hence the confession has become a hacknied proverb."--_Wayland's Moral Science_, p. 110. "Not to mention the more ornamental parts of guilding, varnish, &c."--_Tooke's Diversions_, Vol. i, p. 20. "After this system of self-interest had been rivetted."--_Brown's Estimate_, Vol. ii, p. 136. "Prejudice might have prevented the cordial approbation of a bigotted Jew."--SCOTT: _on Luke_, x.

"All twinkling with the dew-drop sheen, The briar-rose fell in streamers green."--_Lady of the Lake_, p. 16.