'A NEW SPANISH READER:. CONSISTING OF PASSAGES FROM THE MOST APPROVED AUTHORS, IN PROSE AND VERSE, ARRANGED IN PROGRESSIVE ORDER, FOR THE USE OF THOSE WHO WISH TO OBTAIN EASILY A PRACTICAL WITH PLAIN RULES FOR ITS PRONUNCIATION, NOTES EXPLANATORY OF THE AND A COPIOUS VOCABULARY. BEING A SEQUEL TO OLLENDORFF'S NEW METHOD OF LEARNING TO READ, WRITE BY MARIANO VELAZQUEZ DE LA CADENA, PROFESSOR OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE IN COLUMBIA COLLEGE, NEW YORK: D. APPLETON & CO., 443 & 445 BROADWAY. 1866. HARVARD COLLEGE June 28, 1938 Library Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848, By D. APPLETON & COMPANY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York PREFACE THIS book, being particularly intended for the use of beginners, who are generally very young, has been prepared with three objects in view, namely: to furnish the learners with pleasing and easy lessons, progressively developing the beauties and difficulties of the Castilian, or, as it is commonly called, the Spanish language; secondly, to enrich their minds with select instruction; and thirdly, to form their characters by instilling correct principles into their hearts. In order, therefore, to obtain the desired effect, the extracts have been carefullyselected from such classic Spanish writers, both ancient and modern, whose style is generally admitted to be a pattern of elegance, combined with idiomatic purity and sound morality; for it is only in the works of such authors that the language may be learned in all its native brightness, and the doctrine acquired with pleasure and advantage. With the view, also, to have the student practically acquainted with the colloquial forms of expression most frequently used in polite society, several dialogues have been interspersed, copied from eminent Spanish modern dramatic writers; who have likewise furnished the scenes pointing out the faults in pronunciation made by uneducated Spaniards. The attention paid to the progressive development of the difficulties and idioms, has prevented the most methodical arrangement of the pieces into Narrations, Descriptions, &c., but they are so disposed as to please and instruct the scholars of different age, taste, and intelligence, presenting to them alternately the useful and the agreeable. The perfect knowledge of spelling, and of the nature and use of the accent, being absolutely necessary to acquire a good pronunciation, some lessons on the subject are prefixed as an "Introduction to the Reader." The scholar is advised frequently and attentively to peruse them, and also never to read rapidly, keeping always in mind that his pronunciation will be more perfect, if his utterance be full, clear, and distinct; for nothing destroys more effectually the euphony of the Castilian language than the mumbling of its syllables, not giving to the accent its due quantity, nor to each vowel its full sound. As no person can attain any degree of proficiency in a language without the knowledge of its grammar, frequent references are made to Ollendorff's Method, which the scholar is advised often and carefully to consult; and also to make himself perfect master of the principal rules of Syntax, particularly those that explain the use of the subjunctive mood,—(from page 352 to 368, and 479, Rule 1st ;) and above all, the conjugations of the verbs, both regular and irregular; for without a thorough knowledge of them, he will never be able to express properly his own thoughts, nor to understand rightly those of others. The rules compiled in the Appendix of that work are plain and few, and the verbs are explained in such a manner as to render them very easy to be understood by the most ordinary capacity. It is therefore hoped that the student, by strictly following the rules laid down for his direction, will not find the least difficulty in reading and translating the Spanish, being assisted by the explanatory notes of the idioms and hard phrases, and the aid afforded by a copious Vocabulary. NEW YORK, December 12th, 1848. |