I pray you Truely sir I like it wel too but yet he left many things vntouched both in his Grammer and also in his Dictionarie Why then I hope with the aide of those two Grammers and you I shal attaine vnto the perfection of the Italian tongue Yea that you shal I warrant you by the grace of God and besides that you may haue them for a trifle Nowe I pray you sir proceede in your consonantes I wyll the d in many wordes is vsed indifferently with t as padre patre father madre matre mother padrone patrone patron or maister lido lito shoare Imperadore Imperatore Emperour and such other For the doubling of it looke in Scipio Lentuloes Grammer The f dooth sometimes accorde with V consonant as refe reue threede and many such like The g is of two natures and also shoulde be of two fourmes but it is seldome vsed the one is simple and altogether pronounced and the other somewhat moyst lowe and short and as it were with a kind of aspiration pronounced The simple shoulde haue this fourme g and dooth accorde with c as io giogo or io gioco I playe and gorgo or gorco a spout of water sogiogare or sogiocare to subdue and many other such like The other hath or at least shoulde haue this fourme g and is vsed in such like wordes as egli he figlio sonne ogni any one bisogno neede and that is most tymes conioyned with these consonantes l and n. In steade of double gg many tymes we vse double zz as Maggio Mazzo the moneth of May raggio razzo beames oltraggio oltrazzo to doo wrong and many other such like The h in this our Italian tongue is but seldome vsed but onely as it were a kinde of aspiration in drawing of the other letters longer that either goe before h or els come after as in ahi alas ahotti sometymes hora now hoggi to day hor hora euen now or ahiome hei ha for alas and also it is necessary to the verbe haue and there it serueth but only to drawe the vowel long that foloweth it as to hó I haue tú hà i thou hast lui há he hath not habbiamo we haue voi hauete you haue loro hà nno they haue and also in the Noune huomo for a man it is vsed and also it is vsed often after c and g as lvoco a place lvochi places fvoco fire fvochi fires and suche others After g it is vsed in suche like woordes as riga a lyne righe lines lago a lake laghi lakes and such others h also foloweth many tymes c as che what cheto quiet chiaro cleare and in suche wordes it is pronounced euen as we pronounce our English k. In many places it is vsed where they might as well be without it as honore honour honoro I honour honestà honestie hora now they might as wel say onore onoro onestà ora c. Me thought I heard you euen nowe speake of che how chanseth it that it is so often vsed in the Italian tongue Sir I wil tel you che hath diuers significations as that the which what when then wherefore for because but onely whereof or nothing che may be applyed to all these woordes c. I pray you folow on with your consonants you know where you left Yea sir that I doo sometymes marry but seldome we vse an i for a consonant and that is vsed in suche like woordes as beginne with iu ia io ie and such as g goeth before them as Giouà nni Iohn giùsto iust Giesú Iesus Già sone Iason for in pronouncing of the vowel that foloweth it the sound of i is a litle heard and as it were dooth helpe to strengthen the consonant that goeth afore it that it may the better be conceyued for we English men vse i in steade of the consonant g as you may see in the wordes alone as Iohn iust Iesus Iason Iasper and such like The k wee neede not to speake of it for the Italian tongue may altogether be without it for in steade of it we commonly vse c alone and sometyme c and h folowing it The l is vsed in the Italian tongue as it is in the Latine and Englishe and pronuced alike sometymes single and sometimes double therafter as occasion serueth The m likewise is vsed so as l sometime double sometime single it is vsed double alwaies in the first plural persons as noi fùmmo we were noi amà mmo we loued facemmo we did The n is vsed euen as m is and none otherwise many tymes double many tymes single but it is vsed in more Nounes then m is The p in Italian wil not haue the company of any consonant to goe either afore it or after it as it hath in the Latine tongue wherefore we say for ipse esso he Psalmus Salmo Psalmes Ptolomeus Tolomeo Ptolomie it is vsed in the midst of any letter more double then single as doppio double doppiare to double and in these verbes as seppi I knew seppe he knewe seppero they knewe and ruppi I brake ruppe he brake ruppero they brake Sometimes in some places it dooth agree with V consonant as ripa riua a banke sopra soura vpon The q is not altogether pronounced in his whole strength and force but when there goeth afore it a or els o and betweene them a c which dooth as it were cause it to be pronounced fiercely acqua water giaque he lay nocque he dyd annoy for the c that goeth before tthe que doth shorten the vowel that goeth before thus it should be but it is seldome vsed And when c is not set before it of force you must lengthē the vowel as Aquilone an Eagle or els Aquila an Eagle or such like The r is pronounced iust in the Italian as it is in the English or Latine and is vsed diuersly both single and double This letter is very wel set out by Scipio Lentulo I pray you tel me is it neuer vsed double Yes marry is it often and specially in Verbes as terrò I shal holde corrò I shal gather verrò I shal come It is also doubled in these woordes as Cà rro a Cart Tórre a Towre térra the earth c. The s is of three prolations and of three fourmes and is a consonant that greatly dooth adorne and beautifie the Italian language and very necessary to it The first fourme of it is this s. the which is more sweetly and cleanly pronounced then the others as cosa a thing riposo rest or els tosto quickly nostro ours c. The seconde fourme of it is s and that is somewhat more sharpe pronounced then the other as Rosa a Rose Fuso a Spyndle Viso the face c. The thirde fourme of it is this or at least shoulde be s the which maye be called fat and ful and that is pronounced as it were our English sh as for example fascia a swadleband Vscio a doore breseia a
citie in Lombardie None of these may be doubled but the second The Latine words that commonly vsex in the Italian are chaunged to doubless as â—asso a stone dissi I said lussurâ—a lust Alessandro Alexander and such like Againe it is doubled in Nounes where the Latines vse p and s as they say ipse we say esso he for scripsit lui scrisse he hath written It is also doubled in many woordes that come from the Latine hauing b before s as for absolutus we say assoluto absens assente absent and such like Of the t somewhat we haue spoken in d and it is doubled in many woordes and often and pronounced fully as sotto vnder òtto eight dòtto learned còtto sodden matto madde But marke when t commeth single before an â— pronounced as it were a single z as Viti vices c. Of the v when it is a consonant this is the fourme of it v as vivera he shal liue vivande meates vedeva a widow virtu vertue verita truth and such like Of the x we haue no neede in the Italian tongue the x that the Latines vse we change sometymes into the double cc as eccelente excellent eccetto except and sometymes in sc as escelente escetto and sometyme in double ss as we haue shewed aboue in the consonants as Alessandro Alexander disse he said condusse he led and some be chaunged into singles as esaudire to geue eare esaminare to examine or els esperientia experience escludere to exclude And also in many woordes that they beginne with x we beginne also with single s as Serse for Xerxes Santippo Xantippo Senofonte Xenophon and that must you drawe as it were a litle long The z sometymes is vsed single sometyme double the single dooth sometime agree with t and the fourme of that should be z as Venetia Venice diferentia difference gratia grace giustitia iustice such woordes may you very wel write with single z as Venezia diferenzia grazia giustizia and such others It is neuer doubled but when it commeth betweene two vowels and then it should haue this fourme zz and that is pronounced as it were t and z together the which is a letter vsed in the high Almain tongue and that is written and printed tz and is often vsed Now it resteth in the reader or writer to thinke of it as batezzo I do baptise pozzo a wel c. The y is neuer vsed in the Italian and yet many tymes doo we vse double ij and yet we may be without it for in speaking it is scant perceiued as vitij vices and such others And this I thinke sufficient for the letters with the helpe of Scipio Lentulo By my faith sir you haue done me a great pleasure but nowe I woulde haue you tel me somethyng concerning the Sillables in the Italian tongue as thus onésta for honest onestá for honestie amóre loue odio hate ingiúria iniurie filosofia Philosophie pópólo people glória glory offésa offence priuilégio a priuilege cogliére to gather or els córre and many suche like But when they come thus à then must they be pronounced very broade high and somewhat long withal and especially that letter that the accent is ouer whether it come in the beginnyng of a woorde or no as thus sù vp giù downe Virtù vertue ingiùria iniurie beffe mockes affà nno care eccètto except caddéro they fel fiócchi lockes of hare allùi to hym dall'ùi froÌ„ hym fià mma a flame hà nno they haue and many such innumerable Moreouer take this for a general rule looke almost in al woordes whether they be of one two three foure fiue or moe sillables of one alwayes pronounce that vowell long of two the first of three or foure or more the last sauyng one and so shal you neuer misse whether the woord haue any accent or no for many tymes the Italian is written without accentes but it were farre better if it were vsed as for example Il quále alzáti gli ócchi vide brigáta assái the which lifting vp hies eyes sawe many people and the accent commeth alwayes vpon the open vowel as géme he sobbeth portó he brought pòrto I bring Let this be as a general rule vnto you for if you obserue them you shal neuer misse but pronounce right I had almost forgot to tell you one thing and that is this There are many woordes in the Italian that are cut of and shortened And looke wel for vpon some of them the accent commeth vppon the open vowel and that must be drawen in length as bontá for bontà de goodnesse cittá for città de a citie virtú for virtùde vertue andáre for andà re to goe vedér for vedère to see ragión for ragiòne reason valór for valòre valour and many such moe Certainely sir this is the best rule that you haue geuen me yet I see that the Apostraphes are much vsed in the Italian I pray you tel me something concernyng them howe a man should place them and how one should vse them I wyl sir as wel as I can You are to note this that when two vowels meete together of two sundry voyces one in the ende of a woord the other in the beginnyng of a woord to pronounce them both it dooth not very wel and is as it were hard and combersome for to speake and nothing pleasant to the hearer Wherefore in writing the Apostrophes are vsed wherby the Reader may knowe where the vowel wanteth by the Apostrophe for sometymes we take the last vowel from the first woorde and sometymes the first of the folowing woorde It is good for you to knowe howe the Apostrophe must be set for it hath two fourmes and they be these ' ' the first soundeth the want of the last vowel of the first woorde and the other soundeth the want of the first vowel of the folowing woorde as for example in this wanteth the last vowel of the first woorde L' Imperatore the Emperour l' inuidia the enuie And in this maner may you take away the first vowel of the folowing woorde as thus Lo ' mperatore the Emperour la ' nuidia the enuie In this last maner of Apostrophing there are two things to be noted the one is that many tymes the o be he Article or Pronoune dooth most aske the Apostrophe as thus a'l tempo at what tyme che ' l cjèlo that the heauen co'l pensiere with thought tu'l sai thou knowest it no'l veditu doost not thou see it and suche others The other is that no other sayings or woordes neede the Apostrophe but those that beginne with im or els in as Lo'mperatore the Emperour La'mportùnita the importunitie lo'ngà nno the deceit la'nvidia the enuie and yet this kinde of Apostrophe is not so needeful as the first Many other woordes there are where the Apostraphe is vsed as the Article gli is neuer vsed but before i whereof we wyl speake more hereafter in the Articles It is also many tymes vsed before such like
being The Articles in al are seuen fiue are of the Masculine and two of the Feminine Of the fiue that are Masculines two are of the singular number and three of the Plural Those of the Singular are Il and lo and those of the plural are i li and gli Of the two Feminine the one is of the singular number the other of the plural The singular is la the plural le The maner how to vse them is this Il is alwayes set before a Consonant as il Cjèlo the Heauen il Conte the Earle il monte the hyl But when s dooth proceede another Consonant you must set before it lo as lo sdegno the disdaine lo sforzo the force lo scoglio the shelfe or rocke or clift And sometymes lo is set before vowels as lo amore the loue lo effetto the effect lo inimico the enimie lo ùfficio the office But yet the Article before such woordes is better Apostrophed and dooth sounde more pleasanter as l' amore l' effetto l'inimico l' úfficio But when the vowel o dooth folowe of force it must haue an Apostrophe afore as l' onore the honour l' Odio the hate l' orgoglio the pride Moreouer this Article if some vowel do folowe it it is both spoken and written whole and the woord that foloweth it is Apostrophed in steade of it as lo'mperatore but of that we haue spoken yenough before Also this Article is sometymes set before mio svoi evor qval and qvale and after per messer mon signor and such other woorshipful names Of the vse of the other articles plural and Masculine the like we haue to say as we haue said of the Singular that is to say that i is vsed in the same maner that il is vsed before a Consonant as i Cjèli i Conti i monti i pensjeri the Heauens the Earles the mountaines the thoughtes And also gli is vsed euen as lo as gli sdegni gli scogli gli sforzi and also gli amori gli effetti gli onori gli ufficij But when a vowel i dooth folowe it is best to vse the Apostrophes and so to entermingle the one with the other as gl' inimici the enimies gl' infideli the Infidels gl' ipocriti the hypocrites and contrarywise if any other vowel doo folow you neede not vse the Apostrophe at al but as it were somewhat to mollifie the i and entermingled with the folowing voyce or woord and pronounce them both as gli èsempij the examples gli odori the smels gli úmori the humours But when s dooth folow another consonant then must you alwayes write it and pronounce it fully and distinctly as gli scogli gli stenti gli scritti but li may be vsed in stead of the one and the other of the two foresaid Articles and say li Cjeli li sdegni li onori and alwayes without an Apostrophe and set it before a woorde that beginneth with i for there you must vse gli to doo wel but yet with an Apostrophe as gl' istorici the Historiographers gl' indovini the Diuiners gl' inamorati those that are in loue Nowe wyl we come to the Articles of the Feminine the Singular of it is set before a vowel and a consonant accompanyed with s and there may you vse an Apostrophe or els not euen as you list as la erba the hearbe la ira the wrath la strada the streete la angoscia the agonie You may say and write l'erba l'ira l'angoscia And yet for a general rule most tymes it is best to vse the Apostrophe and especially if the vowel a folow the Article as l'acqua the water l'armento the cattel The selfe same may you say of the Article plural of the Feminine onely that alwayes before the e you must vse the Apostrophe and also before the other vowels but not so often the examples for al shalbe these folowing le arti the artes le ingiùrie the iniuries le ore the houres le usure the vsuries le case the houses le strade the streetes And so may you say l'arti l'ingiùrie l'ore l'usure l'erbe l'esequie but in some woords it is better and more necessary to accompany it with suche woords as runne vpon one vowel as la iniqvitá le iniqvitá the iniquitie and the iniquities la ereditá le ereditá the inheritance and the inheritances la cittá le cittá the citie and the cities and such others where if the Article were not whole and ful you should not know the one number from the other You are also to note this among your Articles that euen as Articles these two wordes are vsed that is Vno and Vna that is one Masculine and one Feminine for you may say Vn ' huomo a man Vn ' cane a dogge Vna donna a woman Vna spada a swoord Vna Lepre a Hare so you may say and it is good Italian ègli é amorevole come il cane or els ègli é amorevole come un cane He is as louing as a dogge or els cosi dè fare l'huomo da bene or els cosi dè fare un huomo da bene so ought an honest man to doo or els égli é timido come la Lepre or els égli é timido com' una Lepre He is as fearful as a Hare and ègli sà ben maneggiar la spada or els égli sà ben maneggiar una spada He can wel handle a swoord that distinction of Articles prepositiues and Subiunctiues brought vp by the Grecians is folowed and obserued by some Italians but not of me for so much as the facilitie and ease of the speach is greater without it and also for other occasions And thus let this suffice you concernyng the Articles that goe before the Noune and so God willing we wyll speake of the Nounes I pray you doo so for certaynely I thinke you are weerie Verily I am almost weery in deede but yet I wyl folow on The Noune is a kinde of voyce that sheweth either the substance or qualitie of the thing and therefore of the Nounes some are Substantiues and some Adiectiues The Substantiues are Cjèlo Heauen témpo tyme prà to afielde Adiectiues are sereno cleare fugace fleeing verde greene saying Cjèlo sereno tempo sugace prà to verde that is the cleare Heauens the fleeing tyme the greene field There are also certayne Nounes that shew a kind of substance more particularly and those are called proper as these Cesare Cesar Mongibello Mongibel Roma Rome Nilo the ryuer Nilus There are othersome that shew it more vniuersally and more common and these are called Appellatiues as terra earth sasso a stone huomo a man Some other Nounes are called Comparatiues some Superlatiues some are Numerales some Folowing order some other Equivochts and Vnivochts and some Diminishers and some Augmentours and Heteroclites and other some partitiues Distributiues and Negatiues Euery name hath his definition among the vowels the proper names especially haue in
my Verbe be deuided in his times which are the time passed the time present and the time to come and vnto this I adde the diuers or variable time as more plainly I wil show you hereafter and although that the time passed doo exceede it is necessarie for vs to beginne in time present because he is the roote and chiefe cause of our Verbes and talke and not in the passed as the Hebrues do and then the diuersities that are in ech of this times are diuided into certaine Chapters the which but of meane schollers will be comprehended Let the others knowe that euen as those in the first age did but breake and stampe the graine and thereof did make a kind of past and sodde it which wee call Sugolâ— or Polenta and did eate it and theron fed and when the true making of bread was founde they woulde not lightly bee perswaded but that their olde fashion was best and not the newe Euen so will those doe that are accustomed to this Dio volesse che or Dio voglia che Dio haresse voluto che and conejosia che concjosia cosa che concjofusse stato che and other such I will not force all men to learne my rules but those that will This know I by experience that those that thoroughly obserue them although they neuer haue been in Italie shall both speake reade and write better then those that obserue them But nowe let vs come to the Declensions or will you haue it Coniugations and let vs begin with the Verbe Avere as ¶ The present Definitiue NV. SIN  English NV. PLV.  Englishe ho or aggio 1 I haue abbjamo avjamo or 1 we haue hai 2 thou hast ave mo avete 2 you haue ha ave or ae 3 he hath hanno or han 3 they haue Aggio ave and aè are most commonly vsed of Poetes The second person doth commonly ende in i in all the Verbes but somtimes the letters do varie as Dolgo I plain Dvoli thou plainest Dico I say di thou sayest Paio I seem pari thou seemest Pongo I set poni thou settest Seggo I sit sjedi thou sittest Téngo I hold tjeni thou holdest vèngo I come vjèni thou commest Voglio I will vvoi thou wilst colgo I gather coi or cogli thou gatherest Scjolgo I loose or vnbynde scjogli or scjoi thou loosest or vnbyndest Soglio I am wont svoi and svoli thou art wont Then are there some that haue n before g and in some the g goeth before the n as cingo cigni to gyrd attingo attigui to attaine or to draw vnto Dipingo dipigni to depaint gjungo gjugni to ouertake mungo mungni to melch Spéngo spègni to quench vpon necessitie may we say piango piangi or piangni to weepe pungo pungi and pugni to pricke stringo stringi and strigni to gripe fast vnge ungi or vgni to anoint but fingo hath onely fingi to faine of glorio wee say glorio to glory and soffio suffij to blowe for the others haue the i pure and these liqvido that is moist The third person in the first Coniugation doth ende in a as canta à ma salta he singeth loueth â—eapeth and such others All the others doo ende in e as vede ride ode he seeth laugheth and heareth in Posso we may saye pvo pvote and pvoe he can but the two last are Poetical We also saye often svol val and vvol and also pon tién vièn riman and such others may be of the second and thirde both the one and the other The two first plurals of this present tyme and likewise the first of the varying time are a lyke but to make them seeme somewhat vnlike some writers haue chaunged the m into n. and to make them also to disagree from the third that haue the accent on the last sauing two we put the accent on the last saue one and say Noi abbiáno facciáno diciáno we haue doe and say this voyce may also vpon occasion in all Verbes leaue the last vowel the Verbes that ende in sco haue not this first person we say pogniámo tâ—gmâ—mo and traggiámo The seconde plural because it dooth not varie a little maye be knowen from the infinitiue chaunging the r into â— as amáre amáte dovère dovéte leggére leggète sentire sentite facete and dicete are not to be vsed sete you be or are is of the Verbe èssere to be of the which wee will speake hereafter The thirde in all Verbes may loose and leaue the last vowell saying aman veggon leggon diâ—on they loue see read and say but in this Verbe and all others of monosilaba wee double the nn and say hanno danno fanno sanno they haue geue doo or make and knowe as partly I haue tolde you in the letter n yea sometimes we cast away not only the vowell but the whole sillable and say han dan fan san we also say possono ponno and pon débbono dénno and dèn The time that foloweth is that which vntill nowe wee haue geuen to the imperatiue the which certainely hath a certaine regarde or respect more then the others as they say meanes howe to speake for it doth not alwayes commaund but it exhorteth forewarnes graunteth forbyddeth prayseth and gesteth and diuers other such effectes hauing alwayes à certaine regarde to whom he speaketh wherefore I call them Respectiues rather then Imperatiues and set him as a Sise and not as a Gender and here I speake onely of his Present for his Future is set in his owne place Respectiue NV. SIN  ENGL.  NV. PLV ENGL.  1  1 abbjamo haue we Abbi 2 haue thou 2 abbjate haue ye abbja 3 haue he 3 abbiano haue they This second person of the singular number in the first Coniugation dooth ende in a and in the thirde in i neuerthelesse sometimes to this i doo we adde an a and say abbja sappja dèbbja in steade of abbi sappi dèbbi and such others But these woords are most vsed of Poetes In certaine other Verbes we cast away the vowel and say Vjèn tjèn for vjèni tjèni and diuers others And this is done as wel when a vowel foloweth as a consonant yea sometime we cast away the whole sillable and say co ve to for cogli vedi and togli In stead of this tyme we may vse the Infinitiue with the Negatiue and say Non ti scordar di mè Forget not thee selfe of me Non far cosi Doo not so Non l aver ' per male Haue it not in yl part The first plural may leaue the last vowel and so we may say Debbjamo debbjate debbjano We owe you owe they owe. And so Sappjamo we know vogljamo we wyl and such others The third plural likewise may loose the last vowel and the last vowel saue one may be i and a. But yet in all Verbes the first Coniugation hath not alwayes the i as amino
i ignoranti Pero la mia opinione é che si tenga conto de gli Scrittori si estimino le loro buone opere ma non è cosi ben lo potiamo speraro ma non aspettare Certo voi mi hauete fatto qui vn Sermone longo che credo che debbiate essere stracco Si certo che io sono stracco piu che io parlo di loroâ— piu possâ— piu che io li laudo tanto piu mâ—ritano da esser laudati Hâ—ggi di pochi si danno al leggere manco al siuâ—â—â—re certo mi rincresce a pâ—â—â—arui sopra Io credo che molti lo fanno per sparagâ—ar denari Cosi sanno certo Io voria che ci fusse simil legge che se vno aleuasse i suoi figlioli senza 〈◊〉 imparare qualcosa est ecâ—almente a leggere sâ—riuere parlare molte lingue che lui fusse decapitato ouero punito grauemente Si ma noi piu tosto potiamo sperar tal cosa manon aspettarla O Dio quando che io considero le graue Leggi che sono state altri tempi contra gli otiosi O Roma triumfante quando che ogniuno era obligato a imparar qualcosa se si trouaua qualcuno otioso lui era punito grauemente tanto lui quanto i suoi parenti al'hora non ci erano tanti assassinameâ—ti latrocinij furti homiâ—idij E d'onde vengo no queste cose senon per che la giouentu è aleuata cosi delicatamente che quando i loro padrie madri vengono a morte non sanno far niente se hanno qualcosa lo spendono presto se non hanno niente vanno rubbando diuentono assasini da strada Che è il loro fine prouano se Caneuo è fote come ce ne l'esperientia giornalmente e tutte queste cose si potrebbono skiuare se piacesse a padri considerarli sopra quaÌ„do sono gioueni non auezzarli cosi superbamente aleuarli cosi otio samente Che vergogna é quella vederete tal Inglese venire in compagnia di Forastieri non sapcra ne parlar ne intendere con loro ma stara come muto e cosi-rest a beffato da loro disprezato da tutti nessuno fara conto di lui Che vergogna è quella che vituperio per i suoi parents che perdita per lui e che cordoglio pensadoui sopra dotrina é sapientia sacci Fortuna quello che li piace mai si perde ne aqua la puo guastare ne fuoco bruciare se la non ti preuale in vn luoco ti preualera in vn altro ne anche tempesta puo consumare scientia O quanto fu ben detto dal Poeta quando che vno gli domando doue or ano tutti i suoitesori luirispose Nel mio seno Dotrina é greue sinon pesa é grande si non occupa gran luogo é bella e pochi la cercano profiteuole si é abandonata da molti lei è dolce e pochi la vogliono tastare belli palazi non sono egli sottoposto alla tempesta belezze di corpo a malatia richezze alla Fortuna chi ha denari non puo compr ar dotrina leggiermente chi ha dotrina troua palazi e richezze fama gloria reputatione e denari venghi doue si voglia Ben la intesero i Filosofi antichi che se non poteuano studiare di giorno studiauano di notte non faceuano conto di fatica di veggiare fusse cosi hoggi che il mondo anderebbe in altro modo Veramente voi dite il vero ma di gratia ditemi vn poco il vostro parere circa Diligentia che cosa è perche io ho sentito dire che é vna cosa molto profitcuole a chila praticha WEl mette my Syr I am returned vnto you to desire you that you wyll tell me somewhat this mornyng you haue so wel pleased me in talking of Fortune that I am returned to you againe to heare you Certis now you mocke me I do not so certis beleue me And what wyl you that I reason of I know not almost what to speake of I woulde that I were in my countrey Then you are not an Englishe man No sir I am an Italian Howe long haue you been here in this Realme I haue been here about a yeare How haue you done to learne to speake English so soone I haue learned English by reading May a man learne a language so soone by reading Yea sir a man may learne it Certis I wold not haue thought it what thinke you of this English tongue tel me I pray you It is a language that wyl do you good in England but passe Douer it is woorth nothing Is it not vsed then in other couÌ„treyes No sir with whom wyl you that they speake With English marchants English marchantes when they are out of England it liketh them not and they doo not speake it But yet what thinke you of the speach is it gallant and gentle or els contrary Certis if you wyl beleeue me it doth not like me at al because it is a language confused bepeesed with many tongues it taketh many words of the latine mo froÌ„ the French mo froÌ„ the Italian and many mo froÌ„ the Duitch some also froÌ„ the Greeke froÌ„ the Britaine so that if euery laÌ„guage had his owne wordes againe there woulde but a fewe remaine for English men and yet euery day they adde How is this thing possible It is true and very true Certis I woulde neuer haue thought it Make the experience of it take a booke and reade but marke well and you shall not reade foure woordes togeather of true English And what thinke you of this countrey The countrey liketh me very wel What thinke you of the people tel me your opinion The people are here as they are in other places there are good and bad What thinke you of the maners of English men tel me of curtesie I wyll tell you some are well manered but many yl Toward whom are they yl manered Toward Strangers and fewe of these English men delight to haue their chyldren learne diuers languages whiche thing displeaseth me When I arriued first in London I coulde not speake Englishe and I met aboue fiue hundred persons afore I coulde find one that could tel me in Italian or French where the Post dwelt And what would you haue them doo learne languages Yea sir and bring vp their children well and haue them taught to reade write and speake diuers languages and not do as many of these English Gentlemen doo that I know And what doo they I see certaine Gentlemen rather lownes to tel the truth that begyn to learne to spake Italian French and Spanish and when they haue learned two woords of Spanish three
euen so is writin corrupted 〈◊〉 any write thinges that are not to be written much lesse to be read and wel lesse to be licenced but of that I leaue the care vnto those that haue aucthoritie to correct and amende euery thing And so for so much as I haue sayde and am to say Readers may coniecture howe much we owe to Historiographers who in my mynd left of them selues immortal glory for that as they wrote as those Princes were glorious for that whiche they dyd the studious Writers haue litle esteemed the great trauailes they haue suffered in readyng studying and writyng Notwithstandyng knowing how alwayes there were are and I beleeue wyl be certaine groutheaded yl manered and to say better enuious that when Writers passe through labour they goe abroade solasing when Writers watch they sleepe when Writers faste they are a banquettyng and a feastyng when that the Writers are tossyng and turnyng theyr bookes they goe wallowing in vices yet for al this they wil set theÌ„ selues to iudge to marâ—e and to condemne other mens doctrine and euen if they had the authoritie that Plato had in Greece that Salomon had amoÌ„g the Hebrues that Licurgus among the Lacedemonians Premetheus among the Egyptians Apolonius amoÌ„g the Indians SecuÌ„dus amoÌ„g the Assyrians or els the cloquence that Cicero had in Rome Few you shal find I be leue none that be now adaies in the Latine tongue diligent in the Greeke expert in the Hebrue lerned with the Spanish adorned vpoÌ„ the Italian language wel grounded in the French curious or els in tossing of bookes desirous if any doo it he is mocked of many iested at of euery body enuied of al imitated of few loued of lesse sought of none You shal find certaine doltes better fed theÌ„ taught certayn Antony nownowes who before they haue seene a booke afore they know what it is whereof it treates wyl be so bold as to defame it You shal see certain men not men but rather beastes I am almost mynded to name them who are so large in speaking so straight in studying that with out blushyng they wyll dare to say that there is no booke but they haue readde or els seene behold what presumption is this euery one is geueÌ„ to condemne bookes few to coÌ„mend theÌ„ You shal see thre or foure in a company one wyl take a booke in his hand and begynne to reade two or three-three-words and one wyl say he is too coy another wil say he speaketh out of purpose one wil say he is too dark an other wil say it is not good vulgare another wil say al is faigned another wil say he is to curious another he is crafty so that to speake briefly the matter resteth as suspected and the Autor goeth not altogether vnspotted There are certaine other shamelesse that without shame wyl be so hardy as to say that there resteth nothing to see but they haue seene it they wyl vaunt theÌ„selues that there is no one thing to discouer that they haue not discouered affyrming that there is nothing to be read that they haue not read they wil sweare that ther is nothing to be written that they haue not writteÌ„ some other wil assure theÌ„ selues that there is nothing to be known that theâ— know not Ha crafty people ha shameles natioÌ„ who art cause that many and many that would write leaue of al through such enuious men Tel me of courtesie the greatest Princes that haue ben haue they not taken delight in Writers and Philosophers Plutarch was not he maister vnto Traian Alexander had not he Homer for his friend and Aristotle for his maister Ha noble sayeing of Philip that great king of Macedonia and father to Alexander the great when as he saide that he thanked his goddes that hys sonne Alexander was borne whilest Aristotle lyued and gaue hym hym to be his Tutour that great king Darius had not he for his familiare Plotinus Augustus had Pistus Pompey hadde Plautus Titus hadde Plinius Adrianus had Secundus Antonius had Apolonius Theodosius had Claudius Sâ—ncrus had Fabatus Philosophers in the old tyme had such authority in princes houses that princes sonnes dyd acknowledge them for Fathers and their Fathers for Maisters Fewe now adayes do imitate them and lesse do compare with theÌ„ how much good Philosophie doth vnto princes lordes let vs learne of Marcus Aurelius who was exalted vnto the Empire not for his riches but for his learnyng not for his high blood but for his Philosophie not because he did inherite it but because hee had deserued it by his good workes He was a Philosopher very sage a prince very mightye an Emperour much feared of a right iudgement in all iustice gratefull vnto all his friendes pacient in his trauayles howe wel he coulde dissemble with his enimies howe seuere agaynst tyrantes how peaceable with the peaceable how frindly to the wise how he dyd indeuor himself to imitate the simple how fortunate in his warres howe bountiful in Peace he was temperate in eatynge moderate in spendynge gratefull to them that serued him pacient to such as offended him diligeÌ„t to mainteyn peace faithful in keeping truces he was a lord of a depe vnderstanding learned in the Greeke Latine tongue and beside al this howe hauty in his wordes how profound in his Sentences Verily you see his woorkes imitated of few but forsaken of many Oh howe muche haue Philosophers been esteemed in olde tyme so many and so many histories make mention of it You see how the Philosopher Brusillus was esteemed of all the Senate of Rome Oh how much were the seuen Sages of Grece estemed you may read it how muche Anatharsus was esteemed of Cressus it is manifest that he sent his Embassadors froÌ„ Lidia to Athens with wany treasures to aske for him pray him he wold come see him promising him the gouernmeÌ„t of al his realm and couÌ„ted himself deformed infortunate because he had no Philosophers to kepe him companye and to counsell him Falaris that great tyrant would delight in learned meÌ„ and in Philosophie would neuer be without Oh golden age when learnyng was sought for farre and neare when wyt was exercised and policie practised and vertue honoured Wel dyd Tullie saye the truth when as he sayde O Philosophie the searcher of al good vertues and the expeller of all vices that common weale did account it selfe happye that Realme blessed that Citie in peace that had good Philosophers in it for to exalt vertue and to suppresse vice to reward the good punish the bad to esteeme the learned and neglect the ignoraunt Wherfore my opinion is that Writers be made account of and that their good woorkes be esteemed but it is not so wel may we hope for it but not looke for it Verily you haue made me here a long Sermon that I beleeue you should be weery Yea verily I am weery and the more I speake of
it for this is a generall rule in the Italian tongue looke how it is written so it is pronounced and as it is pronounced so it is written The open e should haue this forme è both in writing and in printing but they are seldome vsed and that is pronounced wide open and somewhat long as Cièlo heauen térra earth sèmpre alwayes pièno ful and so foorth The close e hath this fourme as e and that is pronounced somewhat close and long withal as vedere to see riceuere to receiue belezze beautie and so foorth And when this fourme of e dooth stand alone in reading it signifieth and and standeth for and is pronounced close and neither long nor short Againe when you finde an e stande alone with an accent ouer the head as thus é it signifieth is as Lui é vn bon huomo he is a good man Lui é andato fuori he is gone foorth and so foorth The Italian i is sometymes vsed as a vowel and sometimes as a consonant and when it is a vowel sometymes it is pronounced pure and cleane and sometymes moyst like our Englishy and it hath this fourme i. the pure i is that that is most commonly vsed and it is called pure because it is purely and cleanly pronounced euen as wee pronoūce our double ee in English as iniquissimi for very euyl or els disiodisissimi for very desirous or els inimici for enimies and so foorth That which is moyst hath this fourme i or at least shoulde haue and that is not so commonly vsed as the other but yet we can not be without it as piaccia pleaseth cjancje for tattele ghjaccja for yse beholde the difference if I wil say naughtie or wicked I shal say maluagia and if I wil say wine of Candia I shal say maluagia also How shal one knowe the true meanyng of these woordes in reading them perhaps you wil say by the accentes Put case there be no accentes howe then for I see Italians them selues wil vnawares erre in suche like letters the pure i is pronounced somewhat short plaine and cleane The other i is pronounced somwhat long and moyst withal and whē you finde i stande alone it signifieth they as i suoi beui his goodes The i that is vsed for a consonant I wil speake of hym amongst the consonantes when I come to them The o likewise hath two prolations and also two formes it should haue by right the one is open and the other close the open should haue the fourme rounde like a circle as o and that is pronounced open high and somewhat long withal as corpo for a body morto for dead forte strong forse perhaps and such like woordes The close o shoulde haue the fourme of an egge and not round as o and that is pronounced close and somewhat short withal as honore for honour coloro they corrono they runne In some wordes you shal finde two oes as corpo the first is open and high the last is close and lowe or els morto and many such like But see you shal finde sometymes an o stande alone as this without an accent and that signifieth as it were an inuocation as O Dio Oh God and when it standeth alone and hath an accent it signifieth or els as Io ó tù I or els thou or els t 5 ó lui thou or he And when you see the accent stand thus ò pronounced high pure brode and long as tenerò I wil holde verrò I wyl come c. The V is sometymes a consonant and sometymes a vowel of the consont V I wil speake among the consonantes when I come to it The vowel is somtymes pure and somtymes moyst the pure hath or at leaste shoulde haue this fourme V as Vsura vsurie Vso vse Vlulare to houle The moyst hath this fourme as v and is pronounced as our double oo in English as fvoco fire gverra warre nvouo new c. The fourme of the consonant V is this v. When you see ù thus with an accent pronounced long and high as tù vp ottùso dul or blunt giù downe virtù vertue Certainely sir you haue done me a great pleasure but nowe I pray you to tell me something concernyng Dipthonges if you can With al my hart sir any thing that I knowe you shall commaund me the Dipthongs that are vsed in the Italian language are diuers and they are framed somtimes of two sometimes of three yea sometimes of foure vowels but when they passe two of force one of the vowels must be as they say in Itnlian liquido that is moyst those of two vowels are as these fiori flowres pieno ful gvida a guide c. of three are these as mjei mine tvoi thine guai wo and such like Those of foure are as these fagivoi a kinde of peason that growe in Italie good to be eaten and such others And thys I thinke sufficient for vowels and dipthongs Nowe wil we come to the consonantes ▪ Do so I pray you The diuisions betweene the consonantes whiche be mute lowde high lowe moyst or drye and others they are manifest vnto ech one wherefore I thinke it labour lost to speake any more of that but yet somewhat I wyll say in general of ech one of them particularly examinyng them one by one Our Italian language dooth so accorde with the pleasaunt pronuntiation and is suche an enimie to the contrary that it can not abide in no woorde to haue any more then two or at the most three consonantes together and yet most of the woordes begin with a consonant and end with a vowel B. is the first and in steade of that doo we often vse p. as Lebra or els Lepra a Hare and with g. as debb'io or degg'io shal I and io debbo or els io deggio I owe and with v consonant as dobbiamo or doviamo shal we The c dooth sometymes accorde with que as in some places the c can not be without a que so in many woordes the q can not be without c but in aiding one another it must be in the myddest of a woorde but of that we wyll speake more when we come to q. And sir if you please you may reade the distinction and pronuntiation of these consonantes in the Grammer that Scipio Lentulo made and Maister Henry Grantham dyd translate where they are at large set out and so doing shal you saue me a great labour and a long study for I can not doo it better then he hath donne and yet I hope to shewe perhaps something that he did not shewe Wherefore I hope that betwixt vs both you shall attaine vnto the perfect knowledge of the true pronuntiation of your letters with a litle study I pray you how like you his Grammer Truely sir I like it wel and it is good There is an other Grammer and Dictionarie together that an English man made called William Thomas howe like you that
wordes as me ' puo ' qve ' se ' suo ' tuo ' and such like the whiche doo meane mègljo poi qvelli sei suoli or suoi and tuoi Sometymes one woorde needeth an Apostraphe both in the beginnyng and ending but that is most tymes in verse as thus Vmil ' in se ma'ncontr ' amor ' superba that is to say humble in her selfe but gainst loue proude And many tymes woordes that may be Apostraphed both in the beginnyng and ending are not as thus Voi non potete ancóra essere amaestrà ta à bastaÌ„za which may be written thus Voi non potet ' ancòr ' essere ' maestrà t ' à bastanza and many such more Also many tymes vowels meete that neede no Apostraphe and also consonantes meete with consonantes mary they come in suche woordes as are clipped of the last sillable or vowel as I haue tolde you before as for example Nessu'n dolor maggior sentir potrés that is No greater sorowe could I feele which goeth very well But marke this the woordes thtt are clipped doo commonly end in d l m n r and t as Vn mal pensier lo mosse An euil thought moued him and Vn buon caual mi piace A good horse pleaseth me or els Il gran dolor mi preme c. Surely sir this is a very good rule but yet I pray you wyl you tel vs something concernyng the poyntes or distinctions which you vse in the Italian writing Concernyng poyntes I thinke I neede not greatly to speake of them for they are but seldome obserued Yea but yet I pray you tel me somthing of them first how many there are howe they are framed and howe they are called for I know they are very necessary not onely for the speaker but also chiefly for the writer of it Since you are so importune I wyll doo my best I say first that the speach of man is as it were a certaine instrument wherewith he expresseth and sheweth foorth his thoughts and conceits of his mind eueÌ„ so is Writing an instrument with the which he expresseth and sheweth foorth the liuely meanyng of his speach and as you know and can not denie that that speach is most perfect that most perfectly can shewe foorth and expresse his thoughtes and conceites of his mynde so can it not be denyed but that that kinde of writing is most perfect that most perfectly can shew foorth and expresse the liuely meanyng of the speache with what kind of gallantnesse delectation pleasure felicitie and perfection this language may be both spoken and written and the thoughtes myndes conceites and liuely meanyngs of it be vttered both to the pleasure and delectation of the hearer speaker reader and writer So many and so many woorthy authors that haue written so many noble bookes of artes sciences faculties doctrines and professions both Diuine and Prophane I am sure that no language can better expresse or shewe foorth the liuely and true meanyng of a thing then the Italian But verily one thing greeueth me sore and that is this that of late it is neither writteÌ„ printed nor read as it should be and nowe to vse it as it should be vsed and to adde vnto it not onely a perfection but also a rich ornament it is needeful that we vse this way We see that the liuely speach of man dooth sometymes as it were hasten on sometymes stay now more and then lesse sometymes as it were aske and sometymes answeare sometymes as it were affirme sometymes chaunge voyce and purpose Nowe that the like may be done in writing many learded and wise men of olde tyme dyd deuise these poyntes the first is called in Italian Coma the seconde Ponto Coma the third due ponti the fourth ponto fermo the fifth ponto Interogatiuo and those two last in this maner Parentesi the least of strength is Coma and so they go increasing tyl they come to ponto fermo and that hath more force and strength then any of the rest Nowe euen as any wel shaped body hath his principal and necessary members which are diuided into lesser parts euen so any wel framed speach hath his periodes in stead of necessary and principal members which are then diuided into other lesser partes Moreouer euen as the wood feller cutteth his wood in peeces and putting diuers of those peeces together maketh a fagot and with a wreath of wood dooth bynd it about which wreath is also of wood and then of more or lesse fagots maketh a loade euen so the speaker or writer doth put many partes of the speach together and of them maketh a construction and then with the Verbe bindeth it togeather which Verbe is also a part of the speache and then with more or lesse constructions maketh a Petiodus Also euen as those lesser partes of the periodus that are not bound together with the Verbe can neither haue sense nor construction These are diuided with the Coma as for example Ne carezze ne minaccie ne premiâ— ne pene that is to say neither cherishing nor threatnyngs neither rewardes nor paynes Which saying hath neither sense meanyng nor construction in it tyll it be bounde with a Verbe then hath it the construction but not the sense Then is it diuided with the poynt and Coma as thus Ne carezze ne minaccie ne premij ne pene sa vanno mai bastanti ne har anno mai forza that is to say neither cherishing nor threatnynges neither rewardes ror paynes shal euer be sufficient or haue the force But when it is accompanied with other partes then it hath a ful sense and construction in it then must that haue a ponto fermo as for example Ne carezze ne minacie ne premij ne pene saranno mai bastanti ne har anno mai forza di separarci dall ' amere di Dio. that is in English neyther cherishing nor threatnyngs neither rewardes nor paynes shal euer be sufficient nor neuer haue the force to separate vs from the loue of God And this is called a Periodus But when the periodus is longer and hath neede of more sayings in it then are the two poyntes vsed The periodus should sometyme beginne with a capital letter sometymes not and sometymes haue a new head and somtimes not thereafter as the varietie length shortnesse scantnesse or varietie of the matter requireth The periodus hath no limited measure appoynted for it but they may be eyther short or of a myddle sise or long And thereafter as they are may you vse the poyntes after the manner that I haue told you Yea sir but I haue heard you say nothing of that poynt which you cal ponto Interrogatâ—uo nor of those which you cal parenthesis Truely sir I had almost forgotten them but of them I wyl geue you one good example and that shal serue you for a generall rule without any longer discourse and this shall be it Io vorrei pure se possibil fusse venirti a
trovare ma come poss ' io farlo mentre durano qvesti fredds e tra tanto ch' io vengo ricordati di non ti fidar piú di qvel ' tuo amico that is to say in English I woulde yet if it were possible come and finde thee but howe can I doo it whilest this colde lasteth and whilest I come remember that thou trust no more that thy friende Or els this other Non ti diss ' io e tu non me ' l' credevi ché gli eraun mancator di fede that is Dyd not I tel thee and thou wouldest not beleeue me that he was a breaker of his faith And so let this suffice of the Elementes ¶ Of the speache Nowe let vs say somewhat of the speach The speach is first diuided into foure partes the one is mutable and the other immutable the mutable doth somtimes alter either through Cases or els through Tyme Through Cases the Noune the Pronoune and the Participle through Tyme the Verbe But before we speake particularly of these matters you are to note al those things that may happen to any of them which are the Number and the person The Numbers are two as much to say either of one or more either Singulare or plurale either the most or els the least take which you please for I care not so I be vnderstood The Singular conteyneth in it but one onely and the Pural al the other from one vpward But you are to note here that euen as the Latines were woont to geue the Plural number to one onely in the first person euen so in the Italian we vse to geue the Plural number to one onely man in the seconde person saying thus Che fate voi qui signor Conte tutto solo that is What doo you here sir County al alone And this is called to geue the title of you and the other of thou Nowe wyl we speake of the Persons shal we I pray you doo so ¶ Of the Persons THe persons are three the first consisteth in this only Pronoune Io that is I the second onely in tú thou but the third in al the rest so that in the Noune and the participle is the third person contayned also may the second be in the Vocatiues also the first is in the pronoune in one onely But in al the other pronounes is the third vsed alone and in the Verbe they are vsed al in both numbers except it be in the Respectiue and the Infinitiue Also you are to note that sometymes we speake vnto the second person euen as it were the third attributing vnto it as it were an honourable or woorshipful title saying Lasignoria vostra laeccelentia vostra or els la maesta vostra that is to say your Lordship your excellencie or els your maiestie and suche like I leaue to speake of many suche odde litle parcels whiche are more tedious then necessary especially vnto the begynners As for those things that are pertinent vnto the mutable part are the Genders the Cases the signes of Cases and the Articles ¶ Of the Genders THe Genders vsed in this language are two that is to say the Masculine and the Feminine the Masculines are such as this Il Cjelo the Heauen Il Sole the Sunne costui this man ciascuno ech man amánte a louer impazzito foolish or madde The Feminines are these or els such like Latérra the earth la Lùna the Moone costéi this woman ciascâ—na ech woman amánte a shee louer impazzita a woman become foolish or els madde ¶ Of the Cases THe Cases are sixe heretofore called Nominativo Genitivo Dativo Accusativo Vocativo and Ablativo of some they are called the first second third fourth fifth and sixth the first is called right and the other as it were crooked ¶ Of the signes of Cases THe Cases can not be knowen in this language through the varietie of the definitions as they are in the Latine and in the Greeke for it hath two definitions euen as the Hebrue the one in the Singulares and the other in the plurales called Signes of Cases the which are di de a ad da the two first shew the Genitiue But this difference there is that di is put where no Article is as Di Ferro di Oro di Argento di Legno that is of Yron of Gold of Siluer of Wood but yet it is farre better to put an Apostrophe before the last vowel of the first woord and so clip away the vowel and say thus d' argento of siluer d' oro of gold but de is alwayes set before an Article as thus del ' cièlo of the heauens del ' aria of the ayre de la terra of the earth de i casi of the cases de le genti of the people The second is a or els ad with a vowel and that foloweth the Datiue as a Tito vnto Titus al' vento to the wynd al' ora at that houre or els euen then ad Arno vnto Arno ad altrui vnto others The third is of the Abbatiue as da casa from the house da la piazza from the market place da té from thee da câ—loro from them But yet there rest three Cases more of the which the fifth is knowen for the calling O as O Giulio O Inlius O Alessandro O Alexander The other two that is the first and the fourth they keepe the Article with them and although that the signe de seemes sometyme to be before the saying without an Article as de mjei mali of my euyls de danni vostri of your damages de tempi passati of the tymes passed yet for al that they want not it but he is as it were hydden in the woordes and therefore the foresaid examples must be written with Apostrophes The like happeneth also vnto the other Signes as a'tempi passati at tymes passed da piú intèndementi of many or from many vnderstandings and that is also vsed in these smal parcels as bo ' ne ' pe ' sú ' which meane coi nei pei súi And likewise you may say or write co'l ne'l pe'l no'l sú'l which meane con il ne il per il non il súil It is also to be noted that ech one of these smal parcels set before the Article Il the vowel is alwayes taken away as you may see in the examples geuen before Nowe let vs come to the Articles I pray you doo so sir if you be not weery To tel you the truth I am almost weery but neuerthelesse we wyl folow The Article is a word of a sillable only and many tymes it is of one onely letter and is set before the Mutables more commonly and vniuersally although sometyme it be set before some particularly as it hath been shewen of many and also before the Infinitiue Moode of the Verbes which are made Nounes as l' udire the hearing il vedere the seeing il parlare the speaking lo stare the