st the same meaning, and is about as often heard. In the
burial-service of the Common Prayer Book, we read, "They are even as
_asleep_;" but, in the ninetieth Psalm, from which this is taken, we find
the text thus: "They are as _a sleep_;" that is, as a dream that is fled.
Now these are very different readings, and cannot both he right.

[138] Here the lexicographer forgets his false etymology of _a_ before the
participle, and writes the words _separately_, as the generality of authors
always have done. _A_ was used as a preposition long before the article _a_
appeared in the language; and I doubt whether there is any truth at all in
the common notions of its origin. Webster says, "In the words _abed,
ashore_, &c., and before _the_ participles _acoming, agoing, ashooting_,
[he should have said, 'and _before participles_; as, _a coming, a going, a
shooting_,'] _a_ has been supposed a contraction of _on_ or _at_. It may be
so _in some cases_; but with the participles, it _is sometimes_ a
contraction of the Saxon prefix _ge, and sometimes_ perhaps of the Celtic
_ag_."--_Improved Gram._, p. 175. See _Philos. Gram._, p. 244. What
admirable learning is this! _A_, forsooth, is a _contraction_ of _ge!_ And
this is the doctor's reason for _joining_ it to the participle!

[139] The following construction may he considered an _archaism_, or a form
of expression that is now obsolete: "You have bestowed _a_ many _of_
kindnesses upon me."--_Walker's English Particles_, p. 278.

[140] "If _I_ or _we_ is set before a name, it [the name] is of the first
person: as, _I, N-- N--, declare; we, N-- and M-- do promise_."--_Ward's
Gram._, p. 83. "Nouns which relate to the person or persons _speaking_, are
said to be of the _first_ person; as, I, _William_, speak to
you."--_Fowle's Common School Gram._, Part ii, p. 22. The first person of
nouns is admitted by Ainsworth, R. W. Bailey, Barnard, Brightland, J. H.
Brown, Bullions, Butler, Cardell, Chandler, S. W. Clark, Cooper, Day,
Emmons, Farnum, Felton, Fisk, John Flint, Fowle, Frazee, Gilbert,
Goldsbury, R. G. Greene, S. S. Greene, Hall, Hallock, Hamlin, Hart,
Hendrick, Hiley, Perley, Picket, Pinneo, Russell, Sanborn, Sanders, Smart,
R. C. Smith, Spear, Weld, Wells, Wilcox, and others. It is denied, either
expressly or virtually, by Alger, Bacon, Comly, Davis, Dilworth, Greenleaf,
Guy, Hazen, Ingersoll, Jaudon, Kirkham, Latham, L. Murray, Maltby,
Merchant, Miller, Nutting, Parkhurst, S. Putnam