SECTION I.
OF THE NATURE OF ADJECTIVES AND THE DEGREES OF COMPARISON.
An English Adjective, whatever may be its gender, number, or case, like a rusty weathercock, never varies. Thus we say, “A certain cabinet; certain rogues.”
But as a rusty weathercock may vary in being more or less rusty, so an adjective varies in the degrees of comparison.
The degrees of comparison, like the genders, the Graces, the Fates, the Kings of Cologne, the Weird Sisters, the Jolly Postboys, and many other things, are three; the Positive, the Comparative, and the Superlative.
The Positive state simply expresses the quality of an object; as, fat, ugly, foolish.
The Comparative degree increases or lessens the signification of the positive; as, fatter, uglier, more foolish, less foolish.
The Superlative degree increases or lessens the positive to the highest or lowest degree; as, fattest, ugliest, most foolish, least foolish.
Amongst the ancients, Ulysses was the fattest, because nobody could compass him.
Aristides the Just was the ugliest, because he was so very plain.