124 



It is not uncommon now to use the relative pronoun in comparisons, 

 to say, e.g. "A man, than whom no greater lives." This is evidently 

 an imitation of the Latin quo in similar constructions. I do not 

 remember meeting with it in Shakspeare, nor do I think a plain spoken 

 man would use it either in conversation or writing. There is some- 

 thing artificial and unnatural about it. The fact is, it was, if not first 

 introduced, at least much favoured, by Milton, who has the following 

 passages : — 



V. 805. " Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal adored the Deity. 

 II. 299. "Which when Beelzebub perceived, than whom, 

 Satan except, none higher sat," 

 A similiar use of the relative pronoun is found — 

 I. 351. "A multitude like which the populous north 

 Poured never from her frozen loins." 



The " like which" is intended to represent the Latin " qualem." 



The relative pronoun is of the greatest importance in the structure 

 of Latin periods. WTioever knows how to handle it well, and to com- 

 bine it skilfully with participles and the adversative, causative, and 

 other particles, has the secret of a good Latin style. In English its 

 use is very much more limited. It is only used in secondary, never 

 in principal clauses. But this does not apply to Milton, who avails 

 himself of it in a variety of ways in imitation of Latin, e.g. in the 

 passage just quoted — 



II. 299. '' Which when Beelzebub perceived," 

 is quod quum B. animadverteret. Tlie Latin quod quum ought never 

 to be translated by which when, but the Latin relative pronoun has to 

 be changed in English into a demonstrative. Examples of piincipal 

 sentences beginnhig with relative pronouns are numberless in Milton. 

 I will quote a few : — 



V. 371. "Whom thus the angelic virtue answered mild." 



V. 385. " On whom the angel hail bestowed." 



V. 40i. " To whom the angel." 



Turning now from pronouns to other parts of speech, we find a 

 decided Latinism in the use of the superlative degree of adjectives, 

 when no comparison is introduced, but the absolutely highest, or a very 

 high quality, is attributed to an object, not the relatively highest. When 

 we say " The wisest man," we think of one wiser than all the others. 

 If we wish to attribute the quality wke in a very high degree, without 

 making a comparison, we say "a very wise man," or "a most wise man," 

 employing the indefinite article ; but Milton, when he says — 



I. 409, " The wisest heart of Solomon he led by fraud," 

 does not speak of oue heart wiser than all the others of Solomon, lie 



