A new method of learning the Italian tongue.

The translator’s preface

The preface, which treats of the decline of the Latin tongue, and the rise of the Italian pp. I-XV

The contents

Of the excellence of the Italian tongue: and that it ought to be considered as a dead, as well as a living language, Preface p. I

Of the decline of the Latin tongue p. II

Of the rise of the Italian tongue, and of the principale authors

to whom it owes its original p. IV

Of the decline and restoration of the Italian tongue p. VI

Of the erecting the Academy of La Crusca p. VIII

Custom notwithstanding produces some alteration in the Italian tongue p. X

Design and plan of this work p. X

The manner of making use of this new method, and of learning easily the Italian tongue p. XII

Of the proper choice of authors in order to understand thoroughly the Italian p. XIII

In what the difficulty of speaking this language with purity, and writing it exactly, consists p. XIV

PART I. Of what relates to the analogy of the language

CHAP. I. Of the letters and pronunciation p. 18

CHAP. II. Some important rules concerning the orthography, and the analogy of words derived from the Latin p. 26

CHAP. III. Of the accents p. 30

CHAP. IV. Of the articles p. 33

CHAP. V. Of the nouns p. 36

CHAP. VI. Of the pronouns p. 46

CHAP. VII. Of the verbs p. 54

CHAP. VIII. Particular rules of the formation of the tenses p. 61

CHAP. IX. A list of the irregular verbs p. 73

CHAP. X. Of the figures or changes that happen in words p. 86

CHAP. XI. Of compound words p. 89

PART II. Containing some curious remarks on the syntax, and the propriety of words in discourse p. 95

CHAP. I. Of the articles and nouns p. 95

CHAP. II. Of the pronouns p. 97

CHAP. III. Of the verbs p. 103

CHAP. IV. Of the auxiliary verbs and the tenses formed from thence by circonlocution with the participle in to or so p. 108

CHAP. V. Of the particles mi, ti, si, ci, ne, vi p. 108

CHAP. VI. Of the adverbs p. 115

CHAP. VII. Of the prepositions p. 117

PART III. Containing a short introduction to the Italian poetry p. 122

CHAP. I. Of the verbs in particular p. 122

CHAP. II. Of rime p. 129

CHAP. III. Of the several sorts of works or compositions in verse p. 129

CHAP. IV. Of the poetic licences p. 137

PART IV. A vocabulary, Italian and English p. 139

Familiar dialogues, Part I. Containing such dialogues as are most proper for beginners p. 178

Familiar dialogues, Part II. Containing dialogues proper for persons somewhat advanced in the language p. 200

A collection of the choicest Italian proverbs p. 225

A collection of jests, fables, and diverting stories p. 230

A collection of some of the most beautiful passages of the most celebrated Italian poets p. 256

A collection of Italian sonnets p. 266

A collection of Italian letters p. 283

A collection of inscriptions of Italian letters p. 353

Fine p. 366