“Of all vices pride is the most universal.” Universal is here improperly used for general. The meaning of the latter admits intension and remission, and may, therefore, be compared. The former is an adjective, whose signification cannot be heightened or lessened; it therefore rejects all intensive and diminutive words, as, so, more, less, least, most. The expression should be, “Of all vices pride is the most general.”
“Tho’ learn’d, well-bred; and tho’ well-bred, sincere:
Modestly bold, and humanly severe.”—Pope.
Human and humane, as Dr. Campbell observes, are sometimes confounded. The former properly means “belonging to man;” the latter, “kind and compassionate:” humanly, therefore, is improperly, in the couplet now quoted, used for humanely.
SECTION III.
THE PRONOUN.
BARBARISM.
Pronouns are so few in number, and so simple, that this species of error, in respect to them, can scarcely occur. To this class, however, may perhaps be reduced such as, his’n, her’n, our’n, your’n, their’n, for his own, her own, our own, &c., or for his one, her one, &c.
SOLECISM.
“Who calls?” “’T is me.” This is a violation of that rule, by which the verb to be has the same case after it that it has before it. It should be, “It is I.”