this respect also the Greek has suffered and changed less than the modern forms of Latin. If the Romance languages have been compelled to adopt the use of the article, the Greek has, on the other hand, preserved its declension, of which the former have but faint traces, and the analytical formation of certain tenses it has in common with all other modern languages. Εἶχον γράψη supplies the lost form ἐγεγράφειν and θέλω γράψει, ἤθελον γράψῃ the future, &c. Of the cases, most are preserved; the dative alone is rather obsolete, but the dual has been lost both in declension and conjugation. The passive exists still, but no optative, and the infinitive is now rarely used in its ancient form. The difference in words consisting more in the addition of foreign terms than in a change of the vernacular, is perceptible only in the language of familiar, daily intercourse; but in this point, as well as in the beforementioned features, there is a decided tendency seen to return to old, revered forms. Foreign, especially Turkish words are rapidly disappearing, and the inflections of the ancient Greek are extensively used in literature and oratory. It is, therefore, impossible to draw a strict line of demarcation between the ancient and modern Greek, especially since all the influence of court literature and science has been employed to restore to the language of the people also the noble dignity and graceful beauty of its ancient form. It may safely be said, therefore, that the ancient Greek still survives and claims its place as a living language of Europe, and this in a state of purity, to which, considering the extraordinary extent of its literary existence, there is no parallel among other European idioms.

The modern Greek is now spoken on the islands of the Ar

chipelago and of the western coast up to Corfu, in the Morea, and, interspersed with Turkish colonies, eastward as far as Constantinople. Near Taganrog, on the Sea of Azoph, there is a small colony, and further south on the western shore of the same sea, a larger settlement of Greeks surrounded by Slaves and Tartars.

In Asia Minor Greek is spoken along the whole coast, beginning with the district opposite Cyprus, which is also inhabited by Greeks, and continuing over the coast and adjoining islands up to the mouth of the Kisil Irmak, on the Black Sea. In the interior of Asia Minor the Greek has generally given way to the Turkish.

(b.) Albanese.-The Albanese are commonly considered descendants of the ancient Illyrians; of their language little else is positively known but that it belongs to the great Indo-European family. In spite of great corruption there are traces enough left in pronouns, numerals and the terminations of declension and conjugation to establish this relation beyond all doubt. A very large number of words, also, are clearly of Indo-European stock, and prove their descent even in the changes which they have undergone in the process of naturalization. The numerals, especially, are almost pure Greek, viz.: (èv-s), dè, tpì, kátpe and πέσε; other forms point more directly to the Latin, as σιπερ (Tep and super), with the Latin change of h into s; Kívт, hundred; è (et), and, not кaι; was (post).

The presumption is, however, generally in favor of a descent from the Greek, but also of a separation from the latter at a very early epoch, because the forms which it has in common with the Greek, resemble more nearly the oldest than any

other forms. Many of the changes and losses which it has since suffered, cannot now be satisfactorily explained, as but very little is known of the history of this race, and their language has never possessed a literature. A new testament was published at Corfu in 1827, with Greek letters, which do not fully represent all the sounds of the language. Besides some rather uncertain sounds of vowels as well as of consonants, they have a digamma, pronounced like the gentle g of Northern tongues. The Albanese is now spoken by a race of men, counting about a million and a half, and calling themselves Schkipetars, whilst the Turks give them the name of Arnauts. They dwell on the western side of the Grecian peninsula from the bay of Patras to the river Drino, in the Albania of our day and those provinces of Modern Greece that lie immediately to the south of it. From the northeastern corner of this territory the Albanese extend eastward, with frequent interruptions, far into Bulgaria. The majority are Christians; the rest Mohammedans.

It is a remarkable circumstance that along the Lower Danube, and farther south west, a number of idioms are grouped together, which agree in nothing but thorough corruption. They are in fact the lowest of their respective families. These lost sons are the Wallachian of the Latin branch, the Bulgarian of the Slavic, and the Albanese of the Greek. All three agree especially in one point, the addition of the article to the end of the noun.

CHAPTER L.

Latin-Italian-Spanish- Portuguese-Provençal - French-WallachianRhato-Romanic.

(c.) Latin.—The history of the Latin language is the history of Rome. As the empire was founded, made permanent and extended from province to province, so the language it spoke also arose, grew and spread abroad, and as the great principles, the very soul, of ancient Rome long survived its fall and bequeathed to the new kingdoms rising upon its ruins the spirit of Roman Law and Roman Government, together with that Church which it had raised and fostered in early infancy, so the Latin language, also, has risen again in the Romance idiomsan eloquent evidence of the spiritual continuance of Rome after its political destruction!

The Latin, it is now well known, was not born on Italian soil, but was formed as one of many dialects of the great unknown mother-tongue, during a period unknown to history, until it also left the mysterious cradle of the Indo-European family in the far East. Comparative Philology has established, not beyond controversy, but to the satisfaction of Science, that there are traces still left in that Latin, which is actually known to us, that clearly and distinctly prove a higher age for the Latin than for the Greek, and that the long-prevailing idea of

a descent from the Greek through the Eolic is simply an anachronism. We know not how and when it left the fatherland of the Indo-European tongues, but we do know that it came not alone to Italy, and did not, perhaps for long centuries, alone represent that family there. Like the Latin, before or soon after it, appeared these other branches also, and their memory, although darkened and overshadowed by the brilliant success of the victorious idiom, still survives in scanty but allimportant relics, such as the Eugubine Tablet and inscriptions in Umbrian and Oscan. They differ, in fact, but little from Archaic Greek, and exhibit, at least, a predominance of the Pelasgian element which is common to Greek and Latin. They prove thus, at the same time, their own descent from the IndoEuropean family and that of the Latin. Not they alone were thus cast aside and allowed to perish; other idioms also, not of Indo-European descent and possibly the first comers in Italy, like the Etruscan, were driven from their native soil, and with it from history and memory, to make room for the only supreme master of the land, the Latin. Possessing no literature, and spoken by races evidently inferior to the Roman, these sister languages and early rivals were soon overcome and sooner still forgotten. A more striking evidence of the power of the Latin can hardly be found than this utter disappearance of idioms like the Etruscan, the language of the ancestors of Maecenas, and long after Pericles, still the vernacular tongue of one of the most civilized and powerful nations of the earth. A few but half-deciphered inscriptions on vases, coins and rocks, are all that is left of the tongue of a mighty nation!

But Rome was not destined to rule over Italy only, and the