Adverbs have no modifications, except that a few are compared, after the manner of adjectives: as, soon, sooner, soonest; often, oftener, oftenest;[310] long, longer, longest; fast, faster, fastest.
The following are irregularly compared: well, better, best; badly or ill, worse, worst; little less, least; much, more, most; far, farther, farthest; forth, further, furthest. Rath, rather, rathest, is now used only in the comparative.
OBSERVATIONS.
OBS. 1.—Most adverbs that are formed from adjectives by the addition of ly, will admit the comparative adverbs more and most, less and least, before them:, as, wisely, more wisely, most wisely; culpably, less culpably, least culpably. This is virtually a comparison of the latter adverb, but the grammatical inflection, or degree, belongs only to the former; and the words being written separately, it is certainly most proper to parse them separately, ascribing the degree of comparison to the word which expresses it. As comparison does not belong to adverbs in general, it should not be mentioned in parsing, except in the case of those few which are varied by it.
OBS. 2.—In the works of Milton, and occasionally in those of some other poets of his age,[311] adverbs of two syllables, ending in ly, are not only compared regularly like adjectives of the same ending, but are used in the measure of iambic verse as if they still formed only two syllables. Examples:—
"But God hath wiselier arm'd his vengeful ire."
—P. Lost, B. x, l. 1022.
"Destroyers rightlier call'd and plagues of men."
—Ib., B. xi, l. 699.
"And on his quest, where likeliest he might find."
—Ib., B. ix, l. 414.
"Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord."
—Ib., B. xii, l. 544.
"Though thou wert firmlier fasten'd than a rock."
—Sam. Agon., l. 1398.