Words ending in _y_, form the plural of nouns, the persons of
verbs, participial nouns, past participles, comparatives, and
superlatives, by changing _y_ into _i_, when the _y_ is preceded by a
_consonant_; as, _spy, spies; I carry, thou carriest, he carries;
carrier, carried; happy, happier, happiest_.

The present participle in _ing_, retains the _y_ that _i_ may not be
doubled; as, _carry, carrying_.

But when _y_ is preceded by a _vowel_, in such instances as the above,
it is not changed into _i_; as, _boy, boys; I cloy, he cloys_; except
in the words _lay, pay_, and _say I_ from which are formed _laid, paid_,
and _said_; and their compounds, _unpaid, unsaid_, &c.

_False Orthography_.--Our fancys should be governed by reason.--Thou
wearyest thyself in vain.--He denyed himself all sinful pleasures.

Win straiing souls with modesty and love;
Cast none away.
The truly good man is not dismaied by poverty.
Ere fresh morning streak the east, we must be risen to reform yonder
allies green.

RULE IV. When words ending in _y_, assume an additional syllable
beginning with a consonant, the _y_, if it is preceded by a consonant,
is commonly changed to _i_; as, _happy, happily, happiness_.

But when _y_ is preceded by a vowel, in such instances, it is very
rarely changed to _i_; as, _coy, coyless; boy, boyish; boyhood; joy,
joyless, joyful_.

_False Orthography_.--His mind is uninfluenced by fancyful
humors.--The vessel was heavyly laden.--When we act against
conscience, we become the destroiers of our own peace.

Christiana, mayden of heroic mien!
Star of the north! of northern stars the queen!

RULE V. Monosyllables, and words accented on the last syllable,
ending with a single consonant that is preceded by a single vowel,
double that consonant when they assume another syllable that begins
with a vowel; as, _wit, witty; thin, thinnish; to abet, an abetter_.

But if a diphthong precedes, or the accent is _not_ on the last
syllable, the consonant remains single; as, _to toil, toiling; to offer,
an offering; maid, maiden_.

_False Orthography_.--The business of to-day, should not be defered
till to-morrow.--That law is annuled.--When we have outstriped our
errors we have won the race.--By defering our repentance, we
accumulate our sorrows.--The Christian Lawgiver has prohibited many
things which the heathen philosophers allowed.