How to parse. ...

212

PREPOSITIONS. [Par. 350-352.

It is more commonly used in modern vernacular
English as a Conjunction (like "after," "before,"
used for " after that," "before that"):(2) "We shall not be ready against (that) he comes."
350 2. "At," meaning "neighborhood," was early
used to denote " proximity of value," " equivalence,"
or " price": -
(1) " The house is valued at a thousand pounds."
(2) " He lends money at a high rate of interest."
(3) " We are travelling at a great pace."
Hence it was used in Adverbial Phrases, where
" estimated," "rated," can be supplied from the
context:(4) "(Estimating your compensation) At (the) least,
you will surely receive half the value of your
loss ": so, " at most."
351 Hence it denotes (not "consequence," like "on,"
but) "immediate proximity, consequence, or dependence ":(5) "He fires up at a word": "At the word he
vanished."
(6) " The tiger cleared the avenue at a bound."
(7) " Ie lies at the king's mercy ": "He is removable at pleasure."
352 I Tence " instrumentality," mostly of games at which
one may be regarded as present: -
(8) " He plays at cricket, football, chess, draughts,"
&c.: " lie is beaten at his own weapons."