“And seem more learnedish than those
    That at a greater charge compose.”—­Butler.

OBS. 6.—­Among the degrees of comparison, some have enumerated that of equality; as when we say, “It is as sweet as honey.”  Here is indeed a comparison, but it is altogether in the positive degree, and needs no other name.  This again refutes Harris; who says, that in the positive there is no comparison at all.  But further:  it is plain, that in this degree there may be comparisons of inequality also; as, “Molasses is not so sweet as honey.”—­“Civility is not so slight a matter as it is commonly thought.”—­Art of Thinking, p. 92.  Nay, such comparisons may equal any superlative.  Thus it is said, I think, in the Life of Robert Hall:  “Probably no human being ever before suffered so much bodily pain.”  What a preeminence is here! and yet the form of the adjective is only that of the positive degree.  “Nothing so uncertain as general reputation.”—­Art of Thinking, p. 50.  “Nothing so nauseous as undistinguishing civility.”—­Ib., p. 88.  These, likewise, would be strong expressions, if they were correct English.  But, to my apprehension, every such comparison of equality involves a solecism, when, as it here happens, the former term includes the latter.  The word nothing is a general negative, and reputation is a particular affirmative.  The comparison of equality between them, is therefore certainly improper:  because nothing cannot be equal to something; and, reputation being something, and of course equal to itself, the proposition is evidently untrue.  It ought to be, “Nothing is more uncertain than general reputation.”  This is the same as to say, “General reputation is as uncertain as any thing that can be named.”  Or else the former term should exempt the latter; as. “Nothing else”—­or, “No other thing, is so uncertain as” this popular honour, public esteem, or “general reputation.”  And so of all similar examples.

OBS. 7.—­In all comparisons, care must be taken to adapt the terms to the degree which is expressed by the adjective or adverb.  The superlative degree requires that the object to which it relates, be one of those with which it is compared; as, “Eve was the fairest of women.”  The comparative degree, on the contrary, requires that the object spoken of be not included among those with which it is compared; as, “Eve was fairer than any of her daughters.”  To take the inclusive term here, and say, “Eve was fairer than any woman,” would be no less absurd, than Milton’s assertion, that “Eve was the fairest of her daughters:”  the former supposes that she was not a woman; the latter, that she was one of her own daughters.  But Milton’s solecism is double; he makes Adam one of his own sons:—­