5.  The definite article the is frequently applied to adverbs in
    the comparative or superlative degree; as, “The more I examine it,
    the better I like it,” “I like this the least of any.”

You may proceed and parse the following articles, when you shall have committed this

SYSTEMATIC ORDER OF PARSING

The order of parsing an Article, is—­an article, and why?—­definite or indefinite, and why?—­with what noun does it agree?—­RULE.

    “He is the son of a king.”

The is an article, a word prefixed to a noun to limit its signification—­definite, it limits the noun to a particular object—­it belongs to the noun “son,” according to

RULE 2. The definite article the belongs to nouns in the singular or plural number.

A is an article, a word placed before a noun to limit its signification—­indefinite, it limits the noun to one of a kind, but to no particular one—­it agrees with “king,” agreeably to

RULE 1. The article a or an agrees with nouns in the singular number only.

NOTE.  By considering the original meaning of this article, the propriety of Rule 1, will appear. A or an, (formerly written ane,) being equivalent to one, any one, or some one, cannot be prefixed to nouns in the plural number.  There is, however, an exception to this rule. A is placed before a plural noun when any of the following adjectives come between the article and the noun:  few, great, many, dozen, hundred, thousand, million; as, a few men, a thousand houses, &c.

EXERCISES IN PARSING.

A bird sings.  An eagle flies.  Mountains stand.  The multitude pursue pleasure.  The reaper reaps the farmer’s grain.  Farmers mow the grass.  Farmers’ boys spread the hay.  The clerk sells the merchant’s goods.  An ostrich outruns an Arab’s horse.  Cecrops founded Athens.  Gallileo invented the telescope.  James Macpherson translated Ossian’s poems.  Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe.  Doctor Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning-rod.  Washington Irving wrote the Sketch-Book.

I will now offer a few remarks on the misapplication of the articles, which, with the exercise of your own discriminating powers, will enable you to use them with propriety.  But, before you proceed, please to answer the following

QUESTIONS NOT ANSWERED IN PARSING.

How many articles are there?—­In what sense is a noun taken, when it has no article to limit it?—­Repeat the order of parsing an article.—­What rule applies in parsing the definite article?—­What rule in parsing the indefinite?