Interrómpo, I interrupt, (v. inter- | Pensóso, thoughtful. Rómpo, I break, (v. rompere.) Rimbómbo, noise, sound. Rónca, a scythe, sickle. Risórgo, I rise again, (v. risórgere.) Rósa, gnawed, (v. ródere.) Ridotto, shelter, retreat. Ricórre, v. to gather, (v. ricógliere. Ródi, gnaw thou, (v. rúdere.) Soffio, breath, blowing. Sogno, a dream, Sóle, the sun. Scóla, he drains. Spróna, he spurs. Spróne, a spur. Pórpora, purple robe. Satóllo, glutted. Scóncio, indecent. pórre.) Sepólto, buried, hid. Stóppa, tow. Sórgo, I rise, (v. súrgere.) Tomo, I fall, (v. tomáre.) Sórra, the fank of tunny-fish | Tórta, a tart. Notwithstanding the foregoing remarks, an attempt to describe in writing the exact pronunciation of words, appears almost as impracticable as for a painter to represent sounds by means of colours; for how is it possible to display to the eye and to the mind that which can only be conveyed to the ear? Difficult as the task may be, I have endeavoured, by a combination of letters, to approximate as near as possible to the sound of each word, and have likewise established some leading rules by which the learner may, in some measure, be asssisted in the acquirement of the true pronunciation. After all, it must be confessed, that whatever effort may be made to delineate accurately the Italian prosody, it will not be free from some imperfection, since it is indisputable, that the Italian pronunciation, which is generally considered very easy, is attended with many difficulties, so much so, that even the Italian grammars and dictionaries do not agree on this point. EXERCISE I. Era égli già divenuto famóso ed eccellente nella súa árte; ma cercándo, in quésta circostanza, di superáre, quánto avéa fatto per l'innánzi, formò il progetto, di dipingerne uno che fosse interamente sénza difètti. Finito il quádro, non credéndosi giudice sufficiente, l'espòse nella pública piúzza, e pregò gli spettatori di dirne il loro parére, indicándo cólla matita che avea là collocáta a tal fine, ógni difetto che vi potésser discèrnere. Ciascuno accennò quél ché gli párve difettoso, ed il pittóre tornáto sul far della séra per ritirare il quádro, s'avvide maravigliandosi ché quási tutti i lineaménti dél vólto, e tutte le pièghe del panneggiaménto érano stúte disapprováte. Contuttocid, siccóme confidáva assai ne' suoi pròprj talènti, ébbe il coraggio di fare una seconda pròva. L'indomani, espóse di nuòvo la súa òpera, ágli occhi del A celebrated painter of antiquity resolved one day to make the most perfect picture that ever could be imagined. He was already become famous and excellent in his art; but seeking in this instance to surpass all that he had done before, he formed the project of painting one that should be entirely without defect. The picture being finished, and not thinking himself a sufficient judge, he exposed it to view in the public square, and requested the spectators to give their opinion on it, by marking with a pencil, which he had placed there for that purpose, every defect which they might discover in it. Each person marked that which appeared to him defective; and the painter having returned towards evening to withdraw his picture, discovered to his great astonishment, that almost all the features of the face, and all the folds of the drapery had been disapproved of. Yet, as he had sufficient confidence in his own abilities, he had the courage to make a second trial. The next day he again exposed his work to the eyes pubblico, e pregò i riguar- | dánti d'accennúr, cólla matita, cóme il giorno precedènte, i luoghi del quadro ché giudicherebbero eccellenti; ma quándo égli vénne súlla séra ad esaminárlo, vide ché il pubblico aveva approváto tutti i lineamenti. Ciò móstra chiaramente ché quéllo ché piáce ágli uni può dispiacére agli altri; e ché sarebbe una sciocchezza per qualunque siasi autóre, d'aspirare all' approvazión generále. of the public, and requested the spectators to mark with the pencil, as on the preceding day, the parts of the picture which they might judge to be excellent; but, when he returned in the evening to examine it, he saw that they had approved of every feature. This shows clearly, that that which pleases some may displease others; and that it would be a folly in any author whatever to aspire at general approbation. LESSON II. ON THE DEFINITE ARTICLE. The Italian language has three articles, il, lo, la. The article il is thus declined: Sul, upon the. PLURAL. Noм. i or li, the. GEN. dei or de', of the. DAT. ai or a', to the. Acc.i or li, the. ABL. dai or da', from or by the. Nei or ne', in the. Coi or co', with the. Pei or pe', for the. This article is put before nouns masculine which begin by any consonant whatever.-Example : SINGULAR. Noм. il libro, the book. GEN. del libro, of the book. PLURAL. Noм. i libri, the books. GEN. dei or de' libri, of the books. DAT. ai or a' libri, to the books. Acc. i libri, the books. [the books. ABL. dai or da' libri, from or by * When the prepositions di, of; a, to; da, from; in, in; con, with; per, for; su, upon; are followed by the definite article, they are joined to it, to form a single word. So that di il, of the ; a il, to the; da il, from the; in il, in the; con il, with the per il, for the; su il, upon the; are expressed by del, al, dal, nel, col, pel, sul. Ex. del maestro, of the master; sul ponte on the bridge, &c. When the above prepositions are followed by the articles lo, lathey are also joined together.-See pages 30 and 32. |