flexibility of the language, while it also
multiplies its distinctive forms. If carried out as it might be, it would
furnish to poets and orators an ampler choice of phraseology, and at the
same time, obviate in a great measure the necessity of using the same words
both adjectively and adverbially. The words which are now commonly used in
this twofold character, are principally monosyllables; and, of adjectives,
monosyllables are the class which we oftenest compare by _er_ and _est_:
next to which come dissyllables ending in _y_; as, _holy, happy, lovely_.
But if to any monosyllable we add _ly_ to form an adverb, we have of course
a dissyllable ending in _y_; and if adverbs of this class may be compared
regularly, after the manner of adjectives, there can be little or no
occasion to use the primitive word otherwise than as an adjective. But,
according to present usage, few adverbs are ever compared by inflection,
except such words as may also be used adjectively. For example: _cleanly,
comely, deadly, early, kindly, kingly, likely, lively, princely, seemly,
weakly_, may all be thus compared; and, according to Johnson and Webster,
they may all be used either adjectively or adverbially. Again: _late,
later, latest_, is commonly contrasted in both senses, with _early,
earlier, earliest_; but if _lately, latelier, lateliest_, were adopted in
the adverbial contrast, _early_ and _late, earlier_ and _later, earliest_
and _latest_, might be contrasted as adjectives only.

OBS. 4.--The using of adjectives for adverbs, is _in general_ a plain
violation of grammar. Example: "_To_ is a preposition, governing the verb
_sell_, in the infinitive mood, _agreeable_ to Rule 18, which says, The
preposition TO governs the infinitive mood."--_Comly's Gram._, p. 137. Here
_agreeable_ ought to be _agreeably_; an adverb, relating to the participle
_governing_. Again, the using of adverbs for adjectives, is a fault as
gross. Example: "Apprehending the nominative to be put _absolutely._"--
_Murray's Gram._, p. 155. Here _absolutely_ ought to be _absolute_; an
adjective, relating to the word _nominative_. But, _in poetry_, there is
not only a frequent substitution of quality for manner, in such a way that
the adjective may still be parsed adjectively; but sometimes also what
_appears_ to be (whether right or wrong) a direct use of adjectives for
adverbs, especially in the higher degrees of comparison: as,

"_Firmer_ he roots him the _ruder_ it