Chez vos voisins vous portez l'incendie : Des potentats, dans vos cités en flammes, Que Mars2 en vain n'arrête point sa course. Oui, libre enfin, que le monde respire ; Semez vos champs aux accords de la lyre; 1 aquilon.-See page 45, note 2. the Romans. This word is used Mars, the god of war, among here, poetically, for war itself. Ainsi parlait cette vierge adorée, R. Clay, Son, and Taylor, Printers, BÉRANGER. New Edition, fcap. 8vo. cloth, price 1s. 6d. THE FIRST FRENCH BOOK: BEING A NEW, PRACTICAL, AND EASY METHOD OF LEARNING 66 The Elements of the French Language. BY FERDINAND E. A. GASC, M.A. " AUTHOR OF "LE PETIT COMPAGNON," "FRENCH FABLES FOR BEGINNERS," LONDON: BELL AND DALDY, 186, FLEET STREET. PREFACE. THE present work is based, in a great measure, upon the excellent system of Ollendorff. That system has been adopted by Herr Ahn, in his First French Course, -a widely-used book, the plan of which is good upon the whole, but the execution is faulty, partly from the author not being thoroughly master of French or English, and partly from a want of method in the arrangement. The chief improvements upon the above-mentioned book are these: 1st. The subordination of each successive Exercise, of which the Lessons are composed, to an important and simple rule of grammar, presented in conspicuous type at the head of nearly every Lesson.-No one can fail to see the advantage of thus putting, in methodical succession, the leading features-and no more-of the French language prominently and clearly before the pupil, and of thereby avoiding a confusion of matters, which is one of the greatest objections to Herr Ahn's book. 2a. Besides the advantage of beginning early in the work to form whole connected sentences, in a progressive way (which is the chief characteristic of Herr Ahn's book), that of giving to the pupil no names of objects but of those in common use, and no sentences but those of daily occurrence in speaking or writing. 3d. Greater grammatical accuracy, as regards both the French and the English. 4th. Shorter and easier Exercises in general. 5th. Phrases so arranged as to practise pupils in those important points of French grammar in which I have, by a long experience, found them almost invariably to make mistakes, because these points are not properly dwelt upon in French grammars generally. 6th. A Table of French Sounds, complete in the main features, given, for reference, at the beginning of the work, and followed by Exercises in Pronunciation corresponding with it. 7th. A Table of the Genders of French Nouns (according to their terminations), more simple and more accurate than that given in a well-known, but worthless book, Hamel's Exercises. 8th. A clearer typographical arrangement, for which I am greatly indebted to the assistance of the printers. [See next page, for Specimen. 24 GASC'S FIRST FRENCH BOOK. 3. Of the sister's pens (Of the pens of the sister).-4. To the sister's pens (To the pens of the sister).-5. Of the sisters' pen (Of the pen of the sisters).-6. Of the sisters' pens (Of the pens of the sisters).-7. To the sisters' pen (To the pen of the sisters). -8. To the sisters' pens (To the pens of the sisters).—9. Of the brother's pencil (Of the pencil of the brother).-10. To the uncle's pencil (To the pencil of the uncle). ** And so on, in every such case. LESSON 10. du or de l' some, any; de la or de l' some, any; des some, any. Before a noun masculine singular, use du;—before a noun feminine singular, use de la ;—before any noun in the plural, whether masculine or feminine, use des. If, however, the next noun singular begins with a vowel or a silent h, use de l' instead of du and also instead of de la. bœuf (masc.), beef. mouton (masc.), mutton. veau (masc.), veal. pain (masc.), bread, loaf. viande (fem.), meat. légumes (masc. plural), vegetables. "confitures (fem. plural), preserves. READ, AND PUT INTO ENGLISH:-1. Voulez-vous du bœuf, ou du mouton ?-2. Prenez du veau.-3. Avez-vous du pain et des confitures ?-4. Donnez-moi de la viande.-5. J'ai des légumes. -6. Apportez-moi de l'huile ou de l'eau. TURN INTO FRENCH:-1. Take some vegetables and some meat.-2. Give me some mutton or some veal.-3. Will you have any beef?-4. Bring me some orange or some apricot.-5. Have you any oil?—6. I have some bread, some oranges, some beans, some oysters, and some preserves. NEW FRENCH COURSE ON A GRADUATED AND GREATLY IMPROVED PLAN, BY FERDINAND E. A. GASC, M.A. (OF PARIS), PROFESSOR OF FRENCH AT BRIGHTON COLLEGE. [IN USE AT ETON, HARROW, RUGBY, WELLINGTON COLLEGE, TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, &c.] New Editions. LE PETIT COMPAGNON, 3s. 6d. FIRST FRENCH BOOK, 18. 6d. FRENCH FABLES FOR BEGINNERS, 28. SECOND FRENCH BOOK, 2s. 6d. * A Key to the First and Second French Books, 3s. 6d. SELECT FRENCH POETRY FOR THE YOUNG, 1s. 6d. HISTOIRES AMUSANTES ET INSTRUCTIVES, 2s. 6d. GUIDE TO MODERN FRENCH CONVERSATION, 2s. 6d. MATERIALS FOR FRENCH PROSE COMPOSITION, 4s. 6d. * A Key to the above, 68. SELECT FABLES OF LA FONTAINE, with English Notes, 38. From DR. A. SPIERS, Fellow of the University of France; Professor of the Imperial College of Bonaparte (Paris). "The school-books published by M. GASC appear to me to be of a very high order, and show not only his ability as a French scholar, but also that he well understands where the difficulties of teaching lie. "I deem it my duty to add that M. GASC has at times made very valuable suggestions for emendations in my French and English Dictionaries. M. GASC's knowledge of English is extensive, such as is rarely obtained by a foreigner." LONDON: BELL AND DALDY, 186, FLEET STREET. Brighton: H. & C. TREACHER, 1, North Street; 44 & 45, East Street. For further particulars, and for specimens, see the next pages. Co |