The chaplain continues to talk to him in low tones, and the little Dauphin looks more and more astonished.

When the chaplain has finished, the little Dauphin resumes, with a heavy sigh:

"What you have said is all very sad, Monsieur l'Abbé; but one thing consoles me, and that is that up there, in the Paradise of the stars, I shall still be the Dauphin. I know that the good God is my cousin, and cannot fail to treat me according to my rank."

Then he adds, turning towards his mother:

"Bring me my fairest clothes, my doublet of white ermine, and my pumps of velvet! I wish to look brave to the angels, and to enter Paradise in the dress of a Dauphin."

A third time the chaplain bends over the little Dauphin, and talks to him in low tones. In the midst of his discourse the royal child interrupts him angrily.

"Why, then," he cries, "to be Dauphin is nothing at all!" And refusing to listen to anything more, the little Dauphin turns towards the wall and weeps bitterly.

ALPHONSE DAUDET: The Death of the Dauphin

ADVERBS

270. Adverbs as Modifiers.

We have learned (§ 34) that adverbs are used to modify (a) verbs, (b) adjectives, and (c) other adverbs. These uses may be called the three functions of adverbs. Further examples are:

(a) 1. Lucy dances gracefully. 2. Shakespeare wrote rapidly. 3. Why did you say that?

4. He never tried it again.

5. He always and everywhere proclaimed that he had not committed the theft.

(b) 6. Mary Queen of Scots was indescribably fascinating. 7. I was particularly careful not to hurt his feelings.

8. It was a singularly untimely death.

9. Your friend was unreasonably angry.

10. Are you quite sure of it?

(c) 11. Do not walk so rapidly.

12. She spoke half jestingly.

13. Pretty soon I met him again.

14. They talk very confidently about it.

271. Kinds of Adverbs.

When classified according to their meaning, adverbs fall chiefly into four divisions. They denote

(1) Time:

now, then, afterwards, often, sometimes, rarely, seldom, fre quently, never, always, when?, once, to-day, to-morrow, etc. (2) Place:

here, there, in, out, above, below, far, near, where?, yonder, astern, aloft, etc.

(3) Manner:

slowly, surely, thus, foolishly, splendidly, terribly, greedily. wearily, how?, well, badly, awkwardly, satisfactorily, etc.

(4) Degree:

much, little, almost, quite, rather, somewhat, partly, wholly, very, not, exceedingly, barely, etc.

Adverbs of manner outnumber the other classes and are usually formed by the addition of ly to adjectives.

272. Adveros of Time answer the question "When?" or "How often?"

273. Adverbs of Place answer the question "Where?"

274. Adverbs of Manner answer the question "How?" or "In what way?"

275. Adverbs of Degree answer the question "To what degree?" or "To what extent?"

276. Comparison of Adverbs.

(a) Adverbs ending in ly form the comparative and superlative by the use of more and most respectively: slowly, more slowly, most slowly.

(b) Adverbs of one syllable form the comparative and superlative by adding er and est respectively:

fast, faster, fastest; soon, sooner, soonest; loud, louder, loudest.

(c) Many adverbs, such as now, here, thus, wholly, etc., are incapable of comparison.

277. Irregular Comparison.-A few adverbs are irregular in their comparison:

278. Adverbs and Adjectives.

As shown in the preceding paragraph many adverbs have the same form as adjectives, but in function the two are different:

1. This is a fast horse. (Adjective)

2. This train travels fast. (Adverb)

3. The amount was less than I had expected. (Adjective) 4. James studies less than formerly. (Adverb)

After certain copulative verbs, such as turn, look, feel, appear, either an adverb or an adjective may be used. For the difference in meaning, see § 180. For well and badly used as adjectives, see § 181.

279. The Double Negative.

Two negatives sometimes make good sense, as “Nobody is content to do nothing"; but they usually make nothing but bad English:

CORRECT

I haven't seen anybody.
I have seen nobody.

He had never been there before.

I haven't seen him or his brother.

I have seen neither him nor his brother.

I had scarcely sat down before he came in.

She had but one.
He could hardly talk.

Adverbs should be placed as near as possible to the words that they modify. This rule is most frequently violated in the placing of only and even. They should be placed immediately before the word, phrase, or clause that they modify:

NOTE. For the position of adverbs used with the infinitive, see § 253, (b).