The  authorities  I  have  consulted  most  are  the  dictionaries

of  Fanfani,  Rigutini  and  Fanfani,  Fornari  {Nuovo  Bazzarini),

)  and  Tommaseo  and  Bellini.    I  have  made  but  little  use  of

other  grammars;  I  am,  however,  indebted  to  Toscani  for

some  ideas  and  a  few  of  my  examples.     The  chapters  on

iii

57427G


IV  PREFACE

syntax,  and  the  treatment  of  irregular  verbs,  pronouns,  suf-
fixes, and  the  plural  of  words  in  -co  and  -go  are  almost
entirely  the  result  of  original  work.
In  conclusion,  I  wish  to  express  my  gratitude  to  Professor
Nash,  of  Harvard,  to  my  friend  and  teacher,  Cav.  Filippo
Orlando,  of  Florence,  and  to  the  gentlemen  who  assisted
me  in  correcting  the  proof-sheets;  and  I  wish  above  all  to
thank  Professor  Sheldon,  of  Harvard,  and  Professor  Bende-
lari,  of  Yale,  without  whose  aid  and  encouragement  I  should
scarcely  have  ventured  to  offer  this  book  to  the  public.
,    Cambridge,  September,  1887.
NOTE  TO  THE  REVISED  EDITION

So  thoroughly  has  the  old  Grammar  been  overhauled  by
Professor  Wilkins  and  me  that  it  now  presents  itself  almost
as  a  new  book.  The  original  Italian  texts  and  bits  of  Eng-
lish prose  for  translation  have  disappeared;  and  in  place  of
the  set  of  Lessons  and  Exercises  added  to  the  book  in  1904,
Professor  Wilkins  has  furnished  a  fresh  series,  better  and
more  abundant  than  the  matter  it  supplants.  A  careful
revision  of  the  rules  and  examples  has  resulted  in  some  im-
provement of  the  former  and  many  additions  to  the  latter.
Use  has  been  made  of  the  system  of  grammatical  nomen-
clature recently  recommended  by  the  American  commit-
tee entrusted  with  the  study  of  that  subject.  Not  least
among  the  advantages  of  this  edition  is  the  marked  gain  in
typographical  clearness.
Cambridge,  March,  1915.
