on the catholicity of the Duke of Norfolk. I have not time for more now; but I will just insert an excellent letter from the MORNING JOURNAL, as a sort of prelude to my more elaborate proceedings in this affair.

speech consistent with the condition of the Jews at Rome, under the very nose of the Pope and all his cardinals? There the Jews are shut up almost like so many dogs in a kennel, and treated with as little toleration as Christians are among the Turks. The Pope does not reproach To the Editor of the Morning Journal them by using the mild phrase "religious opinions." It is villanous inSIR,-In the report of proceedings in fidelity that the Jew is accused of by the House of Lords on Friday night him, and the offender is treated accordlast, I read the following: "The Duke ingly. In what way, I would ask the of Norfolk: My lords, I hold in my Duke "as a Catholic," is the measure hands a petition, which I am requested he would have our Government adopt to present, from persons professing the consistent with what is done by the Jewish persuasion in the West London head priest of his own religion? Is the district, praying the removal of civil Papal government just, or is it exdisabilities on account of religious opi-tremely uncharitable and inhuman? nions under which they at present labour. Surely, it is fair to put this question to As an English Catholic, but lately ad- the Duke of Norfolk, who would seem mitted to the benefit of a seat in this to be returning us thanks for his own house, I should be most ungrateful if I emancipation by becoming the chaindid not support the prayer of this peti-pion in parliament of the most open tion, which I beg to assure your lord- enemies of Christianity. If we have ships I do most cordially. (Cheers.) " not the right to denounce with the utOh! the most noble and most Catholic most severity that language will supply Duke would be "most ungrateful," such an attempt as this, surely we may would he, if he, a Papist, had no fellow-be allowed, even in this age of improvefeeling for a Jew? But it is possible ment, to make some remonstrance that such an expression may be wrongly against our being forced (by the pious attributed to the Duke, and that he said aid of Catholics too) to look upon a ungenerous" instead of "ungrateful." Jew and a Christian as one and the same thing.

I am, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,

London, April 5, 1830.

ITALIAN GRAMMAR.

P. C.

It seems, however, from the tenor of his speech, that he must have said the one or the other. Now, though Roman Catholic dukes may have sympathies with the Jewish race, that is no reason why the people of the church of England should. If it really was gratitude that prompted his Grace "most cordially" to support the petition of the anti-Christians; if he was conscious that he owed his seat in JAMES P. COBBETT's Italian Grammar, THE following is the Preface to Mr. the house to any Jew-like influence; which will be published early next then the more the pity for us that he ever should have obtained that seat, and we Protestants ought to be the last to join him in his expressions of grati- As it may be considered, that every tude. If he considered himself vested one who writes a book should be prewith the sanction of the people of Eng-pared to give some reason beyond that land, then, indeed, this is being grateful of the common ambition to be read, for to us with a vengeance, and God help his seeking the attention which is the all those (Jews only excepted) who an- end of its being published, I will simply ticipate a bettering of our state as the say, that I have found those books that consequence of Catholic emancipation! I have met with, relating to the same How far is this Roman Catholic peer's subject as my own, either deficient in

week.

PREFACE.

their contents, or so injudicious as to condemn the particular errors of his the choice of matter, and so confused in nearest predecessor. Thus, among the its arrangement, as, in a great measure, writers in French, PERETTI attacks VBto retard the pursuit which the makers NERONI, BIAGIOLI attacks PERETTI, and of them intended to accelerate. Those BARBERI, again, attacks BIAGIOLI. which are deficient, are very much so; VENERONI, who has the merit of having while those of the other class show led the way, is criticised by those who more learning in the writer than they have followed him in a manner the most are calculated to impart to the reader; unceremonious: not one of them acthey are more voluminous than lumin- knowledges what he takes from VENEous; they are abundant in matter, but RONI; while they all make common not clear in manner. Seeing this, there- cause of complaint that he has not given fore, and having failed, in many cases, enough to borrow from. The Italian to obtain the information which I ex- Grammars of TORIANO and ALTIERI are, pected to find in Italian Grammars, and I believe, the first that were published naturally supposing that others must be originally in our language. Latterly subject to the same disappointment as came the English "Lectures of SIGNOR myself, I have written this Grammar, in GALIGNANI, who, and whose Editor, the hope that it may give those who are Dr. MONTUCCI, have composed a work beginning to study Italian the assistance to teach us Italian (" with ease and fathey stand in need of towards acquiring cility" and "without the help of any a tolerable acquaintance with the ru-master") which, though it shows rediments of that language. How far I search in its compilers, insures infinite have accomplished my object, it will be perplexity to its readers. My experience for my readers to judge. Of one thing, of grammars in general is such, that I however, they may be assured, which look for negative more than for positive is, that if the information required by merit in them. If asked which I conthem is not to be found in the source I sider the best Italian Grammar, my anoffer, the source really containing that swer would be: "The shortest is the information has never yet been opened."best; for the one that has the least to say I have not, I am aware, said every thing" about the matter will do the least tothat it might be useful to say. But I" wards making you abandon the study have had a double object in view; to" altogether." The little French works say all that was essentially necessary, of POLIDORI and VERGANI are the best and, at the same time, to put what I of their kind. These do not, to be sure, had to say within the smallest possible guide you far; but they are useful as far compass; in attempting to do which I as they go, and do not lead you into have, I trust, made my work such as darkness by unsatisfactory explanations. to fulfil the promise of its title. I have written rather as a learner than The first Italian Gramınar, at all as a professor. I do not pretend to have worthy of being so called, that was made new discoveries, to have found out used in England, was that of VENERONI, what other grammarians did not know originally written in French, and up-before. But, the thorough understandwards of a century ago. Of VENE-ing of the matter, and the making it RONI'S Grammar there have been, from equally well understood by others, are time to time, many different translations into our language; and Zorri's FrenchItalian Grammar is nothing more than the last edition of VENERONI. Since the first appearance of VENERONI, the Italian Grammars that have been pub-all: it is the want of clearness, the want lished, both in French and in English, are almost innumerable. It seems to have been a main endeavour with each subsequent grammarian, to expose and

two different things; and the latter of these is a thing in which I, as a learner, have found every grammarian wanting. It is not of any particular work that 1 complain: I find one great fault in them

of reasons and explanations. In this consists the only fault that I need point out in any one; but from this, important as it is, there is not one that is free. Where

ITALIAN GRAMMAR.

508

there is such a multiplicity of points to over and corrects it; and, badly as it be noticed, the arrangement of the may be done, the pupil cannot help several matters is a thing of the greatest thinking that, when he has “done his importance; and to this I have paid exercise," he has learned all that part of particular attention. I have taken care the grammar to which it relates, though, to introduce no grammatical term, as is commonly the case, he does not without, at the same time, explaining really know one word about the matter. the meaning of it. I have, I believe, Exercises may, therefore, if not properly passed over hardly any of those diffi-used, not only be of no benefit, but culties to which a learner is sure to be rather tend to injury. There are some, subject. Where principle is concerned, I know, that think the whole subject is I have studied to give the clearest pos- best taught by the means of exercises. sible explanation; and in those cases This is a most pernicious notion; and where the differences between the two the system founded on it is worthy of languages consist in mere matters of none but the teachers of parrots. If practice, for which it would be difficult exercises are nothing more than putting to account by any reasoning, I have the language into practice, then every forewarned the learner of what he may word you read, and every word you have to meet with: to know what our write or say, is, in fact, an exercise. difficulties are, and where they lie, is But if they mean, as a part of the grampartly to overcome them. you understand the rules and principles mar, something by which to show that you have been reading about, these rules and principles should be first thorough

Although I am not, as will be perceived, a compiler, or collector of materials from books already written, I do not, at the same time, wish to be re-ly comprehended, or, the materials for garded as having received no assistance from those who have preceded me. There is no grammar, perhaps, to which I am not indebted for something. There are two works which I think it but justice particularly to name. The first is that of SIGNOR GALIGNANI: the lectures of this gentleman are abstruse; but they have, nevertheless, a vast deal of good matter in them. The other is the large French work of SIGNOR BARBERI, called "Grammaire des Grammaires Italiennes." In this grammar there is an use of new names, which, in my opinion, tends rather to confusion than otherwise. But I have learned a great deal from SIGNOR BARBERI; he is a very able grammarian; and his performance, which is most elaborate, does him the highest credit.

It will be perceived that I have given no EXERCISES in this work. The proper use of Exercises, is, to put the learner's memory of rules and principles to the proof. But it too frequently happens that the exercise is performed without the reasons for its correctness or incorrectness ever being understood by the person that has performed it: the pupil does the exercise, and the teacher looks

making the exercise may just as well
not have been in your book. In the
title-page of a Frenchman's grammar I
once read the following motto, taken
from Quintilian: Iter breve est per ex-
EMPLUM, longum per PRECEPTA; By
example, the way is short, by precept
long. I found that the contents of the
book were just what might be expected
to come after such a motto, and that
the author of it had taken the words of
his authority in at least their largest sense.
It was a book consisting, almost entirely.
of examples and exercises. Such a work
should not be called a Grammar. How-
ever, while I think that exercises do not
properly form any part of a Grammar,
I am far from thinking that they are of
no use. I am of opinion, that if they
apply to the rules, they may be of much
be well selected, and made strictly to
assistance. And I propose, therefore,
in addition to the abundance of examples
that I have already given, to publish a
little book of EXERCISES, which, as
they will refer to its different chapters
or paragraphs, will form a proper ap-
pendix to this Grammar.

in the way of advice to the reader. I
In conclusion, I will say a few words

509

17TH APRIL, 1830.

510

will take it for granted, that he does not beginners to read, or to translate from expect to gain a knowledge of a lan- Italian into English, there is one that I guage without studying its grammar. think it useful to mention; it is the The science of grammar is, it is true, Comedies of Goldoni, the style of which one not very easy to be clearly ex-is at once easy and abounding in such pounded; and the far greater part of expressions as are peculiar to the beauthose who call themselves grammarians tiful language in which they are written. have presented the matter to our under-In making translations, the Italian should standings in a shape that is any thing be first copied on one side of the but inviting. Grammars have been the English to be written on the other. paper, found so difficult to understand, and Not a single phrase or word ought to have been the means of disgusting so be passed by, without the learner being many with the pursuit, that learners satisfied that he knows the real meanhave become quite captivated with the ing of it, and that he has put that meaninvention of modern teachers who pre- ing into his translation. There is notend to have found out a method of thing, the grammar itself alone exteaching languages, the principal re- cepted, of so much benefit as this rigid commendation of which is that no gram- translating. It obliges us to be scrumar is to be used! This invention is pulous in searching for the true sense of nothing but a mischievous deceit; it is the words, prevents us from being too a mere mockery of learning. The truth much in a hurry to decide as to the is, that if we do not have recourse to meaning, and, when once clearly undersuch books as require some of the labour stood, plants it firmly in the memory. of thought, and teach us to understand One single page of translation thus by the means of our reason, we must made, will do more than fifty pages of learn as mere babies do; and, if we hasty reading; no one that has not learn any thing, our knowledge can be tried it can have any idea of its usefulthe result of long habit only, and it ness; and I may venture to say, that must be purchased at an enormous ex- all those who shall follow my advice in pense of tinie. Now, it is to render this respect, will acknowledge from exunnecessary this long habit, it is to save perience, that I have not given it withthis enormous expense of time, that the out good reason. grammar is intended. The right use of the grammar, of a book really deserving that title, is to teach us, in one day, that which would, without it, require years. It is, therefore, to the grammar that the student must give his attention. If he make himself perfectly master, or nearly So, of this, the rest of his path will be all smooth, and he will meet with nothing beyond it to check his progress for a moment; while, on the contrary, if this be neglected, not only will he be COBBETT'S CORN, unable to use the words of his new lanMANGEL-WURZEL SEED, guage correctly, but he must be constantly liable to misunderstand AND LOCUST SEED. the meaning of them as used by others. THE time is fast approaching for sowNext in importance to the well under- ing all three of the above. The corn standing of the rules and principles con- should be out of ground as soon as we tained in the grammar, comes all that can reasonably expect that the frosts part of the study which may be called are all over. Any gentleman who may rercise; that is, the reading of Italian wish to plant this, may have the seed books, or the translating of the one lan- on applying at my shop, 183, Fleetguage into the other. As a book for strect. The prices are, for a bag con

JAMES P. COBBETT.

ROUTE.

Louth, 14th April. 15th; at Lincoln, 20th of April. I I SHALL be at Hull to-morrow, the cannot now be quite certain as to the future.