Nat.  Hist. (2.) These primitive terms may also be compared, in all three of the degrees, by the adverbs farther and farthest, or further and furthest; as, “Which is yet farther west.”—­Bacon. (3.) Though we never employ as separate words the comparatives norther, souther, easter, wester, we have northerly, southerly, easterly, and westerly, which seem to have been formed from such comparatives, by adding ly; and these four may be compared by the adverbs more and most, or less and least:  as, “These hills give us a view of the most easterly, southerly, and westerly parts of England.”—­GRAUNT:  in Joh.  Dict. (4.) From these supposed comparatives likewise, some authors form the superlatives northermost, southermost, eastermost, and westermost; as, “From the westermost part of Oyster bay.”—­Dr. Webster’s Hist.  U. S., p. 126.  “And three miles southward of the southermost part of said bay.”—­Trumbull’s Hist. of Amer., Vol. i, p. 88.  “Pockanocket was on the westermost line of Plymouth Colony.”—­Ib., p. 44.  “As far as the northermost branch of the said bay or river.”—­Ib., p. 127.  The propriety of these is at least questionable; and, as they are neither very necessary to the language, nor recognized by any of our lexicographers, I forbear to approve them. (5.) From the four primitives we have also a third series of positives, ending in ern; as, northern, southern, eastern, western.  These, though they have no comparatives of their own, not only form superlatives by assuming the termination most, but are sometimes compared, perhaps in both degrees, by a separate use of the adverbs:  as, “Southernmost, a.  Furthest towards the south.”—­Webster’s Dict. “Until it shall intersect the northernmost part of the thirty-first degree of north latitude.”—­Articles of Peace.  “To the north-westernmost head of Connecticut river.”—­Ib. “Thence through the said lake to the most north-western point thereof.”—­Ib.

OBS. 4.—­It may be remarked of the comparatives former and latter or hinder, upper and under or nether, inner and outer or utter, after and hither; as well as of the Latin superior and inferior, anterior and posterior, interior and exterior, prior and ulterior, senior and junior, major and minor; that they cannot, like other comparatives, be construed with the conjunction than.  After all genuine English comparatives, this conjunction may occur, because it is the only fit word for introducing the latter term of comparison; but we never say one thing is former or latter, superior or inferior, than an other.  And so of all the rest here named.  Again, no real comparative