learned from others; and your countrymen must be ungrateful, if they do not acknowledge, that such a service connects you with them by no ordinary tie. In my opinion, the first and most distinguishing honours are due to him, who has sagaciously moulded the manners of society, and can legislate with the best policy in peace and war. Next in rank to such a man, I consider him, who exerts himself to establish, by maxims and rules, and as it were to fortify by their means, the proper method of speaking and writing, as practised in the purest age: providing for their infraction with the rigour of a Romulus. If you would compare the usefulness of these two characters: the first effects the just and inviolable civil intercourse of the citizens; the other imparts to it gentility, polish and elegance, which are the next desirable qualities: the one provides fearless courage, and intrepid counsels to oppose an invading enemy, the other endeavours to check the incursions of intellectual barbarism-that foul domestic foe to genius-by teaching accuracy in speaking, and a ready use of good authors. For it cannot be deemed of little importance, whether a language be pure or corrupt, or the common mode of speaking be correct or otherwise; this was never

considered a safe state of things at Athens; and if Plato thought, that an innovation in dress and fashion portended commotions and changes in the republic, much more readily would I believe, that in the event of the language becoming vitiated and erroneous, a state would decline, and a degraded and obscure condition succeed. The general faults of language are inelegance, harshness, incorrectness and wrong pronunciation: what do these indicate, and that by no slight evidence, but that the minds of the people are indolent, listless and prepared for any servility? On the other hand, I have never heard of an empire or state, that did not flourish, at least in some degree, so long as it maintained the care and culture of its own language. As you advance therefore, my friend, in accomplishing this work, remember what an honourable and enduring gratitude you must certainly earn from your countrymen. I have made the above remarks, not supposing that you are ignorant on the subject, but under the conviction, that you are more solicitous how you may best repay your country, than to bring it in debt to you.

I will now say a word with respect to foreigners; on whom if you are disposed to confer an obligation, a fair opportunity is now presented; for every one of

them of accomplished talents, or refined manners, holds the Italian in the highest estimation, and thinks that it ought to be incorporated as a branch of solid learning, and particularly where Greek and Latin are but little, or not at all known. I have surely done more than sip both these languages, but, however it may be with one who has taken larger draughts in proportion to his age, yet as to myself I can always go willingly and eagerly to revel with Dante and Petrarch, and others of your poets. Nor has Attic Athens itself, with its pellucid Ilyssus, nor old Rome with its Tiber, been able to confine me to their banks: for I love to visit frequently your Arno and the hills of Fæsole1.

Now tell me if there was not a sufficient cause which made me, a remote foreigner, your guest for a few days, and such a lover of your country, that it seems to me I love none better? Which you can remember the more easily, as I have laboured to en

1 'Milton was so well skilled in Italian, that at Florence the Crusca, an Academy instituted for recovering and preserving the purity of the Florentine language, often consulted him on the critical niceties of that language.'Warton.

gage you to add to your work now in progress, and almost finished, something for the sake of foreigners on the proper pronunciation of the language, which might be easily acquired. For it seems to have been the desire of those who have written on the subject, even to this day, to satisfy their countrymen, without caring for us. But in my judgment, they would have consulted better for their own reputation, and the honour of the Italian, if they had delivered their instructions, as if it concerned every man to seek the knowledge of that tongue: they did not care how little desirous of wisdom you Italians shut up within your Alpine walls might appear to us. This fame therefore is untasted; all will be yours; it has been reserved untouched and entire for you. Nor would it be diminished, if you would take the trouble to discuss the multitude of your authors separately, showing who is entitled to the next place to the illustrious founders of the language; who is distinguished in tragedy; who lively and witty in comedy; ingenious or solid in letters and dialogues; renowned as historians. To a studious person so disposed, it would not be difficult to select some one of peculiar distinction, and enlarge, as he would frequently have an opportunity of doing. In this

species of composition, you have Cicero and Fabius among the ancients as models, but none of your own authors that I know of. Although whenever I hint this to you, it seems as if for the first time I perceive the extent of your courtesy and amiable disposition, yet I am unwilling that you should suppose that I am imposing upon you on that account, in thinking that I can prevail upon you without much importunity or perseverance. But as your modesty and candour put the lowest estimation on your own works, I am desirous of valuing them properly, according to my real opinion of their worth: and surely it is entirely equitable, that the credit of granting a favour should be in proportion to the promptness of the benefactor.

If you wonder why I use Latin instead of Italian in this argument, my object is to confess my unskilfulness and ignorance of a language which I am anxious to see illustrated by your rules and for this reason, I hoped that I should be more successful in my petition, if I brought the aged and venerable mother from Latium to assist me in her daughter's cause; believing that such was your respect for the authority of her august and ancient majesty, that you could make her no denial. Farewell.