Here the verb to wreck, or “to destroy, by dashing on rocks,” is improperly used for “to wreak,” or “to discharge.” In the last example the adverbs not only are improperly placed. It should be, “they wreaked their vengeance not only,” &c.
“We outrun our present income, not doubting to disburse ourselves out of the profits of some future plan.”—Addison. “To disburse,” or “to expend money,” is here improperly used for “to reimburse,” or “to repay.”
“And wrought a great miracle conform to that of the apostles.”—Bacon.
“The last is the most simple, and the most perfect, as being conform to the nature of knowledge.”—Hutton’s Investigation, vol. i. p. 643. Conform, here used for conformable, is, in this sense, deemed a Scotticism.
SECTION V.
THE ADVERB.
BARBARISM.
“Friendship, a rare thing in princes, more rare between princes, that so holily was observed to the last, of those two excellent men.”—Sidney on Government. Holily is obsolete.
“Enquire, what be the stones, that do easiliest melt.”—Bacon. The adverb easily is not compared,—see [p. 70]. Easiliest is, therefore, a barbarism.
“Their wonder, that any man so near Jerusalem should be a stranger to what had passed there, their acknowledgment to one they met accidently, that they believed in this prophet,” &c.—Guardian. Steele has here used accidently, for accidentally. The former is a barbarism, and its derivation is repugnant to analogy.