iv 



INTRODUCTION. 



follows no rule whatever : the greater part of the names have been written 

 down according to their fancied sound, and without any regard to their ori- 

 ginal characters, or to their signification. They are consequently in general so 

 expressed that, to a native ear, they would be unintelligible, and they cease to 

 convey what, in their correct form, they very commonly imply, some circum- 

 stances of interest respecting their history or origin, ttieir topographical 

 site, or peculiarities of soil, climate, and natural or manufactured produce. It 

 would have been as idle as unphilosophical therefore to have adopted the 

 forms of these names vulgarly expressed, especially in opposition to the 

 practice followed by the highest authorities. Their enunciation will be 

 sufficiently correct by attention to a few simple rules.* 



* Thus — 1.— The Consonants should be pronounced as in English. 



2 — The Vowels as in Italian, the long Vowels being distinguished by an accent over 

 them. 



There is one exception to the Italian sound of the Vowels, that of the short a, which takes the 

 sound it has in adorn, amend, and similar verbs ; or as in America, or that of u in Sun, &c. 



