S21 
iSZ 1.] Et^radlogX) of the Name of the leU of Manl 
gent relatif (de I’indicatif) of the verb 
^£re. Fu't ib the parfait defini, &c. 
E'toit denotes an event or action that 
is past. Example: 
J’ai vu I’impie adore syr la terre 
Pared au cedre il caebaU daus les cieux 
'■ Son front audacieux : 
II semblalt a son gre gouverner !e tonnerre, 
Foulait aux pieds ses ennemis vaincus : 
Je n’ai fait passer, il n'etait deja plus.’' 
E'tait is also used when speaking of 
habitual or frequent actions, at a time 
that is not defined. Example : Lorsquhi 
ctait a Paris, il allait tous les matins au 
manege, ou il woniait plusieurscheveaux. 
^Henri IV. etait un grand prince, il 
aimait son peuple. Home cLait d’abord 
gouvernee par des Hois, &c. 
The word Jut should be used only 
when we wish to denote an action at a 
time of which nothing remains, or that is 
absolutely past. Example : “ i\fut hier, 
la seniaine passee, le mois dernier, a la 
cliasse.” Hence it would he improper 
to say, aujnuid hui, cette se- 
inaiue, ce raois, &c.’^ Nor is it proper 
to say, “11/^ un ties grand frai tette 
seniaine, ce mois-ci, cetie annee,’’ be¬ 
cause la seinauie, le mois, i’annee, are 
not yet entirely over, &c. 
There are French grammarians who 
call the parfait dtjini (i. e. Jut) pcajbit 
histoi'lque^ because it is frequently made 
use of in the historical style. Example: 
Alexandre attagua Darius Codoman, le 
I'ainguit deux fois, Jit prisonnicres sa 
mere, sa femme & ses filles. 
This illustration, 1 tinnk, will shew the 
proper application of the vvorrts dunnait 
and doiiPMy since these are respectively 
made use of according as the phrase fie- 
, 3 '.otes either an action tliat is present at 
the time of another action, or as an ac¬ 
tion that is completely over. 
So likewise, with regard to tlie words 
J'aimit exndjity particular attention must 
be pain to the tendency of the plirase, as 
1 have attempted to demonstrate in the 
preceding examples. Thus it is perceived^ 
that there is nearly the same “ shade of 
difference,” and the saaie preciMou re¬ 
quired m the French language respecting 
tlte words ctmt and Juty as iliere is the 
English and iias betii. J. H. 
(jrctnuiich, Sept, lb. 
To the Editor of ike Monthly Magazine 
SIR, 
Mr. Farey will peruse asain the ar¬ 
ticle on Tuning, in your Maga?me ut 
Septemberj he cannot but perceive? 
object, to be, not to advocate tlie correct¬ 
ness of any system of temperament, but 
to point out the best practical method 
of tuning keyed stringed instruments.’^ 
I gave instructions to produce tlie inters 
val of a proper fifth in the temperament: 
called the equal temperu^nenty from ids 
being in most general use, and becausej» 
of tiie various systems, it has been pro¬ 
nounced the best deserving that appella¬ 
tion,.by Haydn, Mozart, and other mas¬ 
ters of harmony. After the pledge given 
by so renowned a champion in musical 
controversy as Mr. Farey, that he will 
prove the error of whatever I may ad¬ 
vance, it would be temerity in me, were 
1 so inclined, to attempt enquiring into 
the relation betwixt his schisma and my 
comma. But, being still of opinion, in 
spite of all T have read and heard, that ma- 
themati-cal speculations cannot be of any 
practical use in directing the tuning-ham- 
mer(a mere mechanical operation, guided 
by the ear, as the brush of the painter is 
by the eye), I consider useless, to tlie ob¬ 
ject in view, my entering upon any,- 
James Broadvvood, 
Great Fulteney-streety Oct. 7. 
To idle Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
sni, 
I N Mr. Wood’s recent publication en 
the present state of the Isle of Man, 
I find, among other conjectures as to the 
etymology of the name Man, he has in¬ 
troduced the Welsh word MoUy signify¬ 
ing isolated ; I take the word on his 
authority, doubting, however, whether 
it be radically Welsh, as it bears so great 
a similarity to the Greek word povco, so¬ 
lus. The question, whether colonies 
w'ere settled in Ireland from Miletus, is 
one of such mere curiosity, that it ought 
not to irritate the passions of any party 
at this remote period: but I will enter 
no farther into it, than to say, that the 
tiling is not impossible. That the Mile¬ 
sians founded many colonies, is universal- 
Iv admitted by the ancients; and that 
such great navigators pnght, by^degiees, 
iuive found their way to Ireland, is not 
more woiulerfui than that, at the eailiest 
period of their history, they sliould have 
founded Sinope, sailing against so long 
and strong a current into the Black Sea. 
J^eaving, iiowever, this wide discussion, 
1 beg to offer iny conjecture to Mr.Wood, 
that the name Mona, though not con¬ 
nected with fxcvoq, solus, is still to be 
found in the Greek language. Xeno¬ 
phon, m the first chapter of the fifth 
book 
