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PREPOSITIONS. To with adjectives of obedience, &c.

"To," with Adjectives signifying obedience, &c. To is still used in the sense of "towards" after some adjectives, such as (1) "gentle," (2) "disobedient," (3) "open." But we could not say

(1)

“If thou dost find him tractable to us.

(2)

“A will most incorrect (unsubmissive) to heaven.

“The queen is stubborn to justice.

(3)

“Penetrable to your kind entreats.

“Vulgar to sense.1

i.e. "open to ordinary observation."

Similarly to is used after nouns where we should use "against," "in the sight of:"

“Fie! 'tis a fault to heaven,
A fault against the dead, a fault to nature,
To reason most absurd.

1 So "retentive to," J. C. i. 3. 95.

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