5 MARCH 1864, Page 22

excellent translation of a book valuable to all students of

philology. The Romance tongues are all mainly derived from the popular Latin, which existed side by side with the classical language. The other principal elements are German and Greek. The first part of Herr Diez's book consists of an elaborate catalogue of these words, to which are appended their signification and modern form. Then the structure and pecu- liarities of the six principal Romance tongues—the Italian, Wallachian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Provencal—and of their kindred dialects, are passed in review. This is done with that elaborate care and wealth of learning in which the German scholars are in the present day unrivalled.