plained in § 158-275 merely bear on the form of words, not on the construction of sentences, I have thought it advisable again to give, as a general rule, Exercises consisting of short and detached phrases and sentences only, which present no syntactical difficulty whatever, and which the learner, who has carefully gone through the First Exercise Book, should be able at once to translate vivâ voce. In this manner much time is gained; the whole book, I think, may be easily translated in a few months' time. This second volume then brings to a close the systematical study of the form of words, i.e., the Accidence, as set forth in my FRENCH GRAMMAR. I shall feel truly thankful for any criticisms and comments which may be addressed to me with the view of rendering both the GRAMMAR and the two EXERCISE Books more useful to the young. The way in which I may make use of such communications will, I hope, be the best proof of my gratitude, and of the fact that I am more anxious to be taught and to teach what is right, than to conceal the fact that I am liable to make mistakes. Whatever the fate of the above-named books may be-whether they may become lasting favourites with the general public, or be doomed to sink into oblivion after a short career of success-there is one thing of still greater importance and interest to me, viz., to watch, even from a distance, the fate and the progress of the Philological Study of Modern Languages in England. For it was the wish on my part that such a study should become more and more domesticated in that country which prompted me to try to show in what way even elementary teaching might be benefited by the Science of Comparative and Historic Philology, and in what way the study of the ordinary Rules of the Accidence might be made more true and more interesting to both teachers and scholars. In conclusion, I wish to express the sincere hope that the duties of the new position upon which I am about to enter, will not render it impossible for me to write another book in English-the SYNTAX OF FRENCH GRAMMAR. If this hope be realized, I shall consider such a work the payment in part of the debt of gratitude that binds me to England, a country which has been my second Home and Fatherland for such a great number of years. Again, I tender my sincerest thanks to Mr. J. BELL, B.A., of Manchester, for having kindly consented to undertake the revision of the various proofs of the Second Exercise Book. HERMANN BREYMANN. UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH, October, 1875. |