discipulos, que, teniendo por fejudez pueril el sugestarse á las reglas, que prescribe la Gramatica, han querido imediatamente componer, sin saber todavia el orden, y concierto, que deben tener entre si las partes de la oracion, ó la sintaxis particular del idioma, que se proponian aprender. Pero que es lo que acontece á estos tales? En lugar de anhelar al adelantamiento, pierden el dinero y la paciencia, aburren á sus maestros, y al cabo de algun tiempo, se hallan muy atrasados del progresso.que sin duda hubieran hecho, si se hubiessen sometido de buena fé baxo la instrucion del zeloso maestro. Los rudimentos de la Gramatica, son la llave que abre la puerta á su inteligencia, ella nos hace ver el maravilloso artificio de la lengua; en ensenañdonos de que partes constan sus nombres, definiciones, y oficios, y como se juntan y enlazan, para formar el texido de la oracion. Sobre ninguna de estas cosas se hace reflexion antes de entender el arte: y asi es difficil que sin el hablemos con propiedad, exactitud, y pureza. Con esta intencion he procurado, quanto mis tareas cotidianas me han permitido, corregir la Gramatica de Del Pino, ò por mejor decir, componerla de nuevo. Pues rara palabra he observado en ella,' que no haya merecido mi correccion, u abolucion total, substituyendo otra propia en su lugar, acortando muchos dialogos verdaderamente indignos de la estampa, y del oido discipulo inocente que los estudia. Tres Editiones de la Gramatica Española, é Inglesa han sido publicadas en esta ciudad de Londres, por ment as a professor, I have met with many, who, regarding subjection to the Rules of Grammar as a puerile task, have been desirous of composing even without knowing the order and connection between the different Parts of Speech, or the particular Syntax of the language which they intended to learn. But what is the consequence of such conduct? Instead of making any progress, they throw away their time and money, distract their teachers, and, at the end, find themselves very far from the improvement which they would have undoubtedly made if they had submitted themselves to the instructions of an intelligent master. Grammar is the key by which alone a door can be opened to the understanding of speech. It is Grammar which reveals the admirable art of language, which unfolds its various constituent parts, its names, definitions, and respective offices, and unravels, as it were, the threads of which the web of speech is composed. These reflections seldom occur to any one before his acquaintance with the art; yet, it is certain, that without a knowledge of Grammar, it is very difficult to speak with propriety, precision, or purity. To obtain this end, I have, as far as the multiplicity of my avocations have permitted me, corrected Del Pino's Grammar of the Spanish Language; or, to speak more properly, composed it anew, as there are few words which it was not necessary to correct or entirely expunge, and substitute in their place others more proper, especially in the dialogues, many of which I have been under the necessity of considerably curtailing, as unworthy of the press and the ear of the uninformed student. Three Editions of a Spanish and English Grammar have been published in London; viz. by Ste por Estivens, Pineda, y Del Pino; sabemos que todos estos authores fueron estrangeros. No obstante, este ultimo tenia alguna idea de la Lengua Española: pero como para publicar un tal libro, no solamente se requiere, que el author sea nativo en el idioma que publica, sino tambien gramatico de ambas lenguas, propia, y Latina. No es de maravillar, que las edicciones anteriores á esta hayan estado llenas de errores incompletas, y faltas enteramente tanto del accento, como de la verdadera pronunciacion Española para los que desean aprender esta hermosa lengua. Uno de los puntos principales, que dichos autthores dexaron en el tintero, y en que consiste la parte essencial de la Syntaxis de la Gramatica Española es saber, proposiciones piden despues de si algunos verbos, y otras partes de la oracion; para este fin, me he valido de la Gramatica de la Academia de Madrid de la qual he extrahido una lista alphabetica que ordeno en tres columnas; en la primera pongo los verbos, y palabras que rigen preposicion; en la segunda las preposiciones regidas; y en la tercera las palabras regidas de las preposiciones. Con lo qual apenas habra duda alguna sobre el regimen de que no se pueda salir a primera vista. La Gramatica que ahora te ofrezco está bien corregida, revista, y muy aumentada. Por ella prometo instruirte en poco tiempo si con docilidad te sugetares á sus rudimentos. Vale. Ne quis tanquam parva, fastidiat Grammatices elementa. Non quia magnæ sit operæ consonantes a vocalibus discernere, easque in semi volicalium numerum mutarumque partiri: sed vens, Pineda, and Del Pino. It is sufficiently " known that all these authors were foreigners. This last indeed had some notion of the Spanish Language; but as, for an undertaking of this nature, it is requisite not only that the language should be that of the Author's own native country, but that he should be intimately acquainted with the idioms, both of his own, and of the Latin Language, it is not at all surprising that the former editions have been so replete with inaccuracies; that there should have been so many omissions and so many errors, both in the accent and in the true pronunciation of the Spanish: it must also be confessed, that this is prejudicial to those who are desirous of learning this beautiful language. One of the principal points which these authors have omitted, and which constitutes a great part of the Spanish Syntax, is the government of prepositions by verbs, and other parts of speech. To remedy this inconvenience, I have availed myself of the Grammar lately published by the Spanish Academy of Madrid, from which I have extracted an alphabetical list, divided into three columns: in the first I have placed the verbs, and words, which govern the prepositions; in the second, the prepositions governed: and in the third, the words governed by the prepositions; by the help of which there can hardly be any doubt respecting the government of the prepositions, which may not be easily solved at first sight. The Grammar which I now offer to the Public, is revised, corrected, and considerably improved; and I flatter myself, that he who attends diligently to its rules, will make great progress in a short time. Vale. quia interiora velut sacri hujus a decentibus, apparebit multa rerum subtilitas, quæ non modo acuta ingenia puerilia, sed exercere altissimam quoque eruditionem ac scientiam possit. QUINCT. CHAP. PART I. III.-Of the Construction of Nouns Substantive IV.-Of Pronouns and their Construction A List of VERBS in Three Columns. The first contains the Words which govern the Preposition; the Second, the Prepositions governed; and the Third gives an |