’Thou art a Girl as much brighter THAN HER,
    As he was a Poet sublimer THAN ME.’  Prior.

i.e.  Thou art a Girl as much brighter than she was, as he was a Poet sublimer than I am.”—­Ward’s Practical Gram., p. 112.  These examples of the objective case after than, were justly regarded by Lowth as bad English.  The construction, however, has a modern advocate in S. W. Clark, who will have the conjunctions as, but, save, saving, and than, as well as the adjectives like, unlike, near, next, nigh, and opposite, to be prepositions.  “After a Comparative the Preposition than is commonly used.  Example—­Grammar is more interesting than all my other studies.”—­Clark’s Practical Gram., p. 178. “As, like, than, &c., indicate a relation of comparison.  Example ’Thou hast been wiser all the while than me.’ Southey’s Letters.”—­Ib., p. 96.  Here correct usage undoubtedly requires I, and not me.  Such at least is my opinion.

[436] In respect to the case, the phrase than who is similar to than he, than they, &c., as has been observed by many grammarians; but, since than is a conjunction, and who or whom is a relative, it is doubtful whether it can be strictly proper to set two such connectives together, be the case of the latter which it may.  See Note 5th, in the present chapter, below.

[437] After else or other, the preposition besides is sometimes used; and, when it recalls an idea previously suggested, it appears to be as good as than, or better:  as, “Other words, besides the preceding, may begin with capitals.”—­Murray’s Gram., Vol. i. p. 285.  Or perhaps this preposition may be proper, whenever else or other denotes what is additional to the object of contrast, and not exclusive of it; as, “When we speak of any other quantity besides bare numbers.”—­Tooke’s Diversions, Vol. i, p. 215.  “Because he had no other father besides God.”—­Milton, on Christianity, p. 109.  Though we sometimes express an addition by more than, the following example appears to me to be bad English, and its interpretation still worse:  “’The secret was communicated to more men than him.’  That is, (when the ellipsis is duly supplied,) ‘The secret was communicated to more persons than to him.’”—­Murray’s Key, 12mo, p. 61; his Octavo Gram., p. 215; Ingersoll’s Gram., 252.  Say rather,—­“to other men besides him.”  Nor, again, does the following construction appear to be right:  “Now shew me another Popish rhymester but he.”—­DENNIS:  Notes to the Dunciad, B. ii, l. 268.  Say rather, “Now show me an other popish rhymester besides him.”  Or