omitted after "thicker;" unless the writer wished to introduce the phrase "no thicker as."

Another instance of the misuse of "than " occurs in connexion with the verb " prefer,"

thus:

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"Above all, it should prefer to leave a point untaught, than to teach it in a way that must be unlearned.”—LATHAM. English Language.

Analogous to these is the fault in the following sentence, in which the writer substitutes the words "but rather" for the word "as :"

"This does not so much seem to be owing to the want of physical powers, but rather to the absence of vehemence.". ALISON. Essay on British Theatre.

Here is another instance :

Scarcely had he uttered the fatal word than the fairy disappeared."-SOANE. New Curiosities of Literature.

In this example, as in most cases of the kind, the error arises from the circumstance that the writer, while committing one word to paper, is thinking of another. What Soane had in his head was the expression "no sooner;" but he forgot that "scarcely" requires "when" after it.

The article “the.”

In certain phrases where the present participle is employed as a noun, the definite article may be used or omitted before it. If used, the participle, like any other noun in the same circumstances,

should be followed by the preposition "of." Here is a sentence which sins against this rule :

"The battle of Eylau should have been the signal for the contracting the closest alliance with the Russian government." -ALISON. History of Europe.

If the article be omitted before the participle, the preposition should be omitted also. The following sentences are therefore incorrect:

"In constructing and depicting of characters, Werner indeed. is little better than a mannerist."-CARLYLE. Essay on Werner.

"In reading of poetry, above all, what forces, through this ignorance, are lost!"-TRENCH. English, Past and Present.

Only.

There is, perhaps, in the English language, no expression that is so frequently misapplied, or that contributes so much to confuse the writer's meaning, as the word only. Its import is oftener determined by the sound than by the sense. It is sometimes placed before, and sometimes after, the word upon which it is intended to bear; and in the hurry or carelessness of composition, is frequently thrown in between two words, with direct reference to one of them, in the writer's intention, but with equal applicability to the other. Numerous instances might be quoted, from our best writers, of the ambiguity and confusion occasioned by a want of attention to the proper place of this word. For the present,

E

however, I shall confine myself to the two chief circumstances in which it is misemployed. The first is when only is placed in a different part of the sentence from that in which it should be; the second, when it is put instead of alone. Here are some examples of the former inaccuracy.

Gifford, speaking of the conduct of the actors towards Charles II., remarks:

"One wretched actor only deserted the sovereign."

The writer meant to say that only one actor had deserted the sovereign; but the word only not being in its proper place, the meaning is that the actor only deserted the sovereign, in the sense that his conduct did not amount to an actual betrayal of him.

"One species of bread, of coarse quality, was only allowed to be baked."-ALISON. History of Europe.

The sense of this is, that the bread was only allowed to be baked, but not ordered to be so. The phrase, to express the writer's meaning, should stand thus:

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Only one species of bread, of coarse quality, was allowed to be baked."

"He found himself at a loss to display his powers of criticism, only by lavishing his praise."-D'ISRAELI. Curiosities.

This should be:

"It was only by lavishing his praise that he was able to display his powers of criticism."

In the following instances, only is incorrectly put for alone :

"No book has been published since your departure of which much notice is taken. Faction only fills the town with pamphlets, and greater subjects are forgotten."-Dr. JOHNSON. Letter to Rev. Mr. White.

The Doctor meant to say that faction alone gave rise to the pamphlets; but the sentence will admit of the construction that faction did no more than fill the town with pamphlets.

"The light must not be suffered to conceal from us the real standard, by which only his greatness can be determined."— D'ISRAELI. Quarrels of Authors.

Here the writer, instead of telling us, as he intended, that the standard is the only thing that can determine the greatness, tells us that the greatness is the only thing to be determined by the standard.

"It is a hereditary aristocracy which alone can be depended upon in such a contest, because it only possesses lasting interests which are liable to be affected by the efforts of tyranny." -ALISON. History of Europe.

In this example the sense and the vigour of the sentence are alike marred by the use of only instead of alone.

This use of "only" for "alone" may be allowable in poetry, as in this line in Dryden :

"Death only this mysterious truth unfolds.”

Or this in Lee :

"The dead are only happy and the dying."

But in prose composition, where the writer is unfettered by any considerations of rhythm, it is altogether inexcusable.

Wrong Preposition.

A noticeable error is the use of one preposition for another. Here are some examples :

"The Italian universities were forced to send for their professors from Spain and France."- HALLAM. Literature of Europe.

"He withdrew to a little distance from the walls, and sent for heavy artillery from Pampeluna and Bayonne."-ALISON. History of Europe.

"Two of the guns which had been blown up were found to be still serviceable. Two more were sent for from Waterford.” -MACAULAY. History of England.

This is one of those errors so frequent in modern prose, and which are referable to a common origin. In point of fact, the writers have one phrase in their mind and another on paper. The professors are to come from Spain and France, and the artillery from Pampeluna, Bayonne, and Waterford; and hence the word from. But if those great historians had paid attention to the form which their thought was assuming on paper, they would have employed the word to instead of from. We send to a place for a thing: and when we talk of sending from a place for a thing, we mean to speak of the place where we are at the time of sending, and not of the place to which we send. For instance, Macaulay, speaking of