MODERN LANGUAGES. 357 



and German, fhould we not be tempted to learn 

 that language ? How glad fhould we be to un- 

 derftand the Spanifh tongue, though it were only 

 to read the Araucana of Don AKmzo D'Ercilia, 

 Don Quixotte, fome dramatic pieces, and a fmall 

 number of other Spanifh works, in the original: or 

 the poem of Camoens in Portuguefel '1 he other 

 languages of Europe have each their beauties 

 and excellencies. Happy would he be that could 

 know them : but how many other things are 

 there more necefiary to be known than lan- 

 guages ? 



VII. The greateft difficulty in all living lan- 

 guages conftantly confifts in the pronunciation, 

 which it is fcarce poflible for any one to attain 

 unlefs he be born or educated in the country 

 where it is fpoke : and this is the only article 

 for which a mailer is nccefiary, as it cannot be 

 learned but by teaching, or by converfation : all 

 the reft may be acquired by a good grammar and 

 other books. In all laguages whatever, the po- 

 etic ftyle is more difficult than the profaic : in 

 every language we fhould endeavour to enrich 

 our memories with great ftore of words ( 

 verborum) and to have them ready to produce 

 on all occafions: in all Ian; :t is di/;~ 



to extend our knowledge fo far as ro be aMe to 

 form a critical judgment of them. All 1; 



r onouni< without 



dwelling on the lonp \\ the gi 



marians call mor< 11 of i 



