Chap, xxi, ver. 3." See Lowth's Gram., p. 65; Churchill's, 269. And a is now sometimes equivalent to on; as, "He would have a learned University make Barbarisms a purpose."--Bentley, Diss. on Phalaris, p. 223. That is,--"on purpose." How absurdly then do some grammarians interpret the foregoing text!--"I go on a fishing."--Alden's Gram., p. 117. "I go on a fishing voyage or business."--Murray's Gram., p. 221; Merchant's, 101. "It may not be improper," says Churchill in another place, "to observe here, that the preposition on, is too frequently pronounced as if it were the vowel a, in ordinary conversation; and this corruption is [has] become so prevalent, that I have even met with 'laid it a oneside' in a periodical publication. It should have been 'on one side,' if the expression were meant to be particular; 'aside,' if general."--New Gram., p. 345. By these writers, a is also supposed to be sometimes a corruption of of: as, "Much in the same manner, Thomas of Becket, by very frequent and familiar use, became Thomas à Becket; and one of the clock, or perhaps on the clock, is written one o'clock, but pronounced one a clock. The phrases with a before a participle are out of use in the solemn style; but still prevail in familiar discourse. They are established by long usage, and good authority; and there seems to be no reason, why they should be utterly rejected."--Lowth's Gram., p. 66. "Much in the same manner, John of Nokes, and John of Styles, become John a Nokes, and John a Styles: and one of the clock, or rather on the clock, is written one o'clock, but pronounced one a clock. The phrases with a before participles, are out of use in the solemn style; but still prevail in familiar discourse."--Churchill's New Gram., p. 269.
OBS. 12.--The following are examples of the less usual prepositions, a, and others that begin with a: "And he set--three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work."--2 Chron., ii, 18. "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?"--1 Cor., ix, 7. "And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting."--Num., xi, 4.
"And sweet Billy Dimond, a patting his hair up."
--Feast of the Poets, p. 17.
"The god fell a laughing to see his mistake."
--Ib., p. 18.
"You'd have thought 'twas the bishops or judges a coming."
--Ib., p. 22.
"A place on the lower deck, abaft the mainmast."--Gregory's Dict. "A moment gazed adown the dale."--Scott, L. L., p. 10. "Adown Strath-Gartney's valley broad."--Ib., p. 84. "For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect," &c.--Isaiah, xviii, 5. "Where the great luminary aloof the vulgar constellations thick,"--See Milton's Paradise Lost, B. iii, l. 576. "The great luminary aloft the vulgar constellations thick."--Johnson's Dict., w. Aloft. "Captain Falconer having previously gone alongside, the Constitution."--Newspaper. "Seventeen ships sailed for New England, and aboard these above fifteen hundred persons."--Robertson's Amer., ii, 429. "There is a willow grows askant the brook:" Or, as in some editions: "There is a willow grows aslant the brook."--SHAK., Hamlet, Act iv, 7. "Aslant the dew-bright earth."--Thomson. "Swift as meteors glide aslope a summer eve."--Fenton. "Aneath the heavy rain."--James Hogg, "With his magic spectacles astride his nose."--Merchant's Criticisms.
"Atween his downy wings be furnished, there."
--Wordsworth's Poems, p. 147.
"And there a season atween June and May."
--Castle of Indolence, C. i, st. 2.
OBS. 13.--The following are examples of rather unusual prepositions beginning with b, c, or d; "Or where wild-meeting oceans boil besouth Magellan."--Burns. "Whereupon grew that by-word, used by the Irish, that they dwelt by-west the law, which dwelt beyond the river of the Barrow."--DAVIES: in Joh. Dict. Here Johnson calls by-west a noun substantive, and Webster, as improperly, marks it for an adverb. No hyphen is needed in byword or bywest. The first syllable of the latter is pronounced be, and ought to be written so, if "besouth" is right.
"From Cephalonia cross the surgy main
Philætius late arrived, a faithful swain."
--Pope, Odys., B. xx, l. 234.
"And cross their limits cut a sloping way,
Which the twelve signs in beauteous order sway."
--Dryden's Virgil.
"A fox was taking a walk one night cross a village."--L'Estrange. "The enemy had cut down great trees cross the ways."--Knolles. "DEHORS, prep. [Fr.] Without: as, 'dehors the land.' Blackstone."--Worcester's Dict., 8vo. "You have believed, despite too our physical conformation."--Bulwer.
"And Roderick shall his welcome make,
Despite old spleen, for Douglas' sake."
--Scott, L. L., C. ii, st. 26.
OBS. 14.--The following quotations illustrate further the list of unusual prepositions: "And she would be often weeping inside the room while George was amusing himself without."--Anna Ross, p. 81. "Several nuts grow closely together, inside this prickly covering."--Jacob Abbot. "An other boy asked why the peachstone was not outside the peach."--Id. "As if listening to the sounds withinside it."--Gardiner's Music of Nature, p. 214. "Sir Knight, you well might mark the mound, Left hand the town."--Scott's Marmion. "Thus Butler, maugre his wicked intention, sent them home again."--Sewel's Hist., p. 256. "And, maugre all that can be said in its favour."--Stone, on Freemasonry, p. 121. "And, maugre the authority of Sterne, I even doubt its benevolence."--West's Letters, p. 29.
"I through the ample air in triumph high
Shall lead Hell captive maugre Hell."
--Milton's P. L., B. iii, l. 255.
"When Mr. Seaman arose in the morning, he found himself minus his coat, vest, pocket-handkerchief, and tobacco-box."--Newspaper. "Throw some coals onto the fire."--FORBY: Worcester's Dict.,
