JB/013/180/001

Click Here To Edit

1821. April 24.

J.B. to Nunez 4(2)

To the ear of him who learns it for the purpose of conversing
in it, it vies indeed with the most difficult languages. But to To him who learns
it for no other purpose than that of reading it, it is by far the
easiest. The cause is that, though a good half of it is derived
from the same sources as those from which the language of its
next neighbours the French, as well as those of the Spaniards,
the Portugueze and the Italians are derived, it has been fortunate
enough to disencumber itself from that so much worse than useless
load of conjugations and other inflexions with which, by reason
of their descent from the Greek through the Latin, those
several derivative languages, as well as the German and other
children of the Teutonic, and the Russian and other children
of the Slavonian, stand encumbered.

And now, much valued Disciple, will I put
thy enthusiasm to the test. If, in respect of other considerations
of superior moment, the circumstances in which thou findest
thyself placed (to me they are altogether unknown) admitt
of it, learn English in that case, I say if thou hast not already learnt the English language,
learn it. Take any English book in hand, if it be the first that
ever met thine eye, at the first glance thou will find it
half intelligible to thee: intelligible to thee in a degree not
much inferior to that in which Spanish is to me. Take in
hand an English Grammar - if any such work as a grammar
for Spaniards to learn English by is in existence, and within
thy reach — after reading it, from beginning to end, thy question
will be — but where shall I find a complete grammar: this is
but a fragment: what I want is the whole: Toribio Son Toribio,
in having that f Fragment, thou hast the whole. For the labour thus
sought to be imposed upon thee, if my works are really to thee any
thing like what thou declarest them to be, thy reward, whatsoever it
may be in value, will not, at any rates, in magnitude be a
scanty one: not to speak of so many other works in the same language, which, without

impropriety, I am at liberty to style treasures

Identifier: | JB/013/180/001"JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 13.
Date_1	1821-04-24	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	013	Main Headings	rid yourselves of ultramaria
Folio number	180	Info in main headings field	jb to nunez
Image	001	Titles
Category	correspondence	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	c4 / c4 / e4
Penner	john flowerdew colls	Watermarks	c wilmott 1819
Marginals		Paper Producer	andreas louriottis
Corrections	jeremy bentham	Paper Produced in Year	1819
Notes public	draft of letter 2770, vol. 10	ID Number	4629
Box Contents