1793 · London
by (ITALIAN-ENGLISH INSTRUCTION BOOKS, 18TH CENTURY). MONTUCCI, ANTONIO
London: Printed for the Editor, 1793. Second Edition. 183 x 115 mm. (7 1/4 x 4 1/2"). 2 p.l., 12, (lacking preliminary pp. 13-23), i-ci, [1], 1-264 pp.
Contemporary quarter calf over marbled paper boards, skillfully rebacked (and hinges neatly reinforced), smooth spine, red morocco label lettered in gilt, all edges sprinkled. Dual title pages each with a woodcut vignette. One folding table. ESTC T128641. Corners somewhat worn, three leaves with small tears (two obscuring a few letters but one affecting a few words in each of six lines of text), other trivial defects internally, but a generally excellent copy, fresh and clean inside, and sturdy and pleasant outside.
This charming and quite rare language book was designed to offer a new method to teach Italian language and pronunciation in "a practical way if the theory should seem tedious." Sienese linguist Antonio Montucci (1762-1829) spent much of his early career publishing translations and language books and teaching Italian in London, after he was urged to move there by Josiah Wedgwood Jr. during a chance meeting in Florence. In the present volume, Montucci sought to teach the reader Italian through short, engaging passages, translated into English on the facing page. The author assures us that the book is more effective for learning the language than those of his English contemporaries, because he uses the Italian orthography based on the system proposed by Gian Giorgio Trissino, in order to make the pronunciations evident. Despite the fact that two editions of this book were printed, it is now quite rare: we were unable to locate any copies at auction, and OCLC finds only seven copies of its two editions together in North American institutional collections. It would obviously be better if the six preliminary leaves (comprising a second address to the reader) were present, but the book's rarity compensates for that to a significant degree.. (Inventory #: ST20302-08)
Contemporary quarter calf over marbled paper boards, skillfully rebacked (and hinges neatly reinforced), smooth spine, red morocco label lettered in gilt, all edges sprinkled. Dual title pages each with a woodcut vignette. One folding table. ESTC T128641. Corners somewhat worn, three leaves with small tears (two obscuring a few letters but one affecting a few words in each of six lines of text), other trivial defects internally, but a generally excellent copy, fresh and clean inside, and sturdy and pleasant outside.
This charming and quite rare language book was designed to offer a new method to teach Italian language and pronunciation in "a practical way if the theory should seem tedious." Sienese linguist Antonio Montucci (1762-1829) spent much of his early career publishing translations and language books and teaching Italian in London, after he was urged to move there by Josiah Wedgwood Jr. during a chance meeting in Florence. In the present volume, Montucci sought to teach the reader Italian through short, engaging passages, translated into English on the facing page. The author assures us that the book is more effective for learning the language than those of his English contemporaries, because he uses the Italian orthography based on the system proposed by Gian Giorgio Trissino, in order to make the pronunciations evident. Despite the fact that two editions of this book were printed, it is now quite rare: we were unable to locate any copies at auction, and OCLC finds only seven copies of its two editions together in North American institutional collections. It would obviously be better if the six preliminary leaves (comprising a second address to the reader) were present, but the book's rarity compensates for that to a significant degree.. (Inventory #: ST20302-08)
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