Review of Grammaire Italienne
author: Elizabeth Moody
source date: July 1790

Elizabeth Moody Art. 21. Grammaire Italienne, Réduite en Six Leçons. Par M Curioni. 12mo. pp. 48. 3s. De Boffe. 1790. [The Monthly Review , second series, volume 2, July 1790, page 350. Benjamin Nangle identifies Elizabeth Moody as the author of this review from an editor's marked copy of The Monthly Review . See Nangle, The Montly Review, Second Series, 1790-1815: Indexes of Contributors and Articles , Clarendon Press, 1955. This edition of this review article was prepared by Mary A. Waters with assistance from Dillon Cullinan. The Abbé Antonio Curioni authored a number of educational treatises on language and literature.]

This abridgement of the Italian Grammar is recommended by the author as containing 'tout ce qui est necessaire pour acquérir une connaissance parfaite de la langue Italienne.' Pref. p. 1. ["... all that is necessary to acquire a perfect knowledge of the Italian language."]

We are not, however, of opinion that an acquaintance with this little grammar is sufficient to supercede the necessity of studying those that are more diffuse and comprehensive. So concise a method as that adopted by M. Curioni, may be attended with success, when seconded by the supplementary instruction of an intelligent master: but would be of little use to the young scholar, without the assistance of such an auxiliary.

We do not mean to discountenance this grammar; because science, whether dilated or compressed, must be productive of utility.