e,
&c."--_Ib._, p. 272. "Seldom, or _never_, is[430] there more than one
accented syllable in any English word."--_Ib._, p. 329. "Which that of the
present seldom or _ever_ is understood to be."--_Dr. Murray's Hist. of
Lang._, Vol. ii, p. 120. Here _never_ is right, and _ever_ is wrong. It is
_time_, that is here spoken of; and the affirmative _ever_, meaning
_always_, or _at any time_, in stead of being a fit alternative for
_seldom_, makes nonsense of the sentence, and violates the rule respecting
the order and fitness of time: unless we change _or_ to _if_, and say,
"seldom, _if_ ever." But in sentences like the following, the adverb
appears to express, not time, but _degree_; and for the latter sense _ever_
is preferable to _never_, because the degree ought to be possible, rather
than impossible: "_Ever so_ little of the spirit of martyrdom is always a
more favourable indication to civilization, than _ever so_ much dexterity
of party management, or _ever so_ turbulent protestation of immaculate
patriotism."--_Wayland's Moral Science_, p. 411. "Now let man reflect but
_never so_ little on himself."--_Burlamaqui, on Law_, p. 29. "Which will
_not_ hearken to the voice of charmers, charming _never so_
wisely."--_Ps._, lviii, 5. The phrase _ever so_, (which ought, I think, to
be written as _one word_,) is now a very common expression to signify _in
whatsoever degree_; as, "_everso_ little,"--"_everso_ much,"--"_everso_
wise,"--"_everso_ wisely." And it is manifestly this, and not time, that is
intended by the false phraseology above;--"a form of speech handed down by
the best writers, but lately accused, I think with justice, of solecism. *
* * It can only be defended by supplying a very harsh and unprecedented
ellipsis."--_Johnson's Dict., w. Never_.

OBS. 23.--Dr. Lowth seconds this opinion of Johnson, respecting the phrase,
"_never so wisely_," and says, "It should be, '_ever_ so wisely;' that is,
'_how_ wisely _soever_.'" To which he adds an other example somewhat
different: "'Besides, a slave would _not_ have been admitted into that
society, had he had _never such_ opportunities.' Bentley."--_Lowth's
Gram._, p. 109. This should be, "had he had _everso excellent_
opportunities." But Churchill, mistaking the common explanation of the
meaning of _everso_ for the manner of parsing or resolving it, questions
the propriety of the term, and thinks it easier to defend the old phrase
_never so_; in which he supposes _never_ t