THE IMPORTANCE OF ITALIAN.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."3 Sre.,—Cam5es, if he still lived in these degenerate days, would not agree with the writer of the article in the Spectator of May 25th in his statement that Italian "has preserved its Latinity as no other language of the family has done." Camdes maintains in the Lusiads that one of the bonds that bound "Venus belle " to the " genie Lusitana "- consisted "na lingua, na qual quango imagine Com ponce corrupeao ere que é a Latina."
Perhaps Camdes was prejudiced. Well, take a practical proof. The following paragraph can be read as Portuguese or as Latin (of sorts). Could the same be done for Italian 7- " 0 quain gloriosas memories publico, considerando quanta vales, nobiissima lingua Lusitaua, cum tun facundia nos provocas, excites, inflammas! Quam altas victories procures, quam cele- brea triumphos spares, quam excellentes fabricas fundas, quam Perversas furies castigas, quam feroces insolentias domes, want- festando de prose e(t) de metro tantas elegancias Latinas." The paragraph was the composition of Manuel Faris, and is given in Murray's Handbook for Portugal (p. xxx.).—I am, Sir, &c.,
St. John's Hall, Highbury, N. 5. - J. M. HARDEN.
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