PIEDMONTES E.

SPECIMEN, FROM ST. JOHN'S GOSPEL, CHAP. I. v. 1 to 14.

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Sul prinsipi a 1 era la Parola, e la Parola a 1 era coun Iddiou; e sta Parola a l era Diou. 2 A 1 era sù 'l prinsipi coun Diou. Ogni cosa a 1 è staita faita da chila, e sensa chila niente de lon ch'a 1 è stait fait a lè stait fait. 4 Ënt chila a 1 era la vita, e la vita a 1 era la luce d'i omini. 5 E la luce a lus ent le tenebre, ma le tenebre a l'han nen arcounoussù-la. A i è stà-ie un om ch'a së ciamava Giouan, ch'a 1 è stait mandà da Iddiou. A lè vënù për rendi testimouniansa, për rendi, i tournou di, testimouniansa a la Luce, për chë tutti a crëdeissou sù soua parola. A l era nen chiel la Luce, ma a l era mandà për rendi testimouniansa a la Luce. Sta Luce a 1 era la vera, coula ch'a illumina ogni om ch'a ven al mound. 10 Chila a 1 era al mound, e 'l mound a 1 è stait fait da chila; ma 'l mound a l'ha nen counoussù-la. 11 A lè vënù a soua ca; e i sò a l'han nen ricevùlou. 12 Ma a tutti coui ch'a l'han ricevù-lou, a 1 ha dà-ie 'l drit d' essi fait fieui d' Iddiou; cioè, a coui ch'a crëdou a so nom; 13 I quai a soun nen nassù de sang, nè dë la voulountà dë la carn, nè de la voulountà de l'om; ma a soun nassu da Iddiou. 14 E la Parola a lè staita faita carn, a 1 ha fait soua abitassioun ën mes de noui, e i avouma ben amirà soua gloria, laqual a lè staita una gloria coum la gloria del Fieul unic dël Pare, piena dë grassia e dë verità.

PIEDMONT, which constitutes the most valuable part of the Sardinian dominions, is an extensive plain, stretching, as its name imports (Pie di monte), from the foot of the Alps to that of the Apennines. The total number of inhabitants amounted, in 1857, to upwards of 3,000,000. A Romance dialect called Piedmontese is still spoken in Piedmont: it is closely allied to the old Provençal language of Southern France, but has of late admitted many Italian words. Le Long speaks of a MS. of the New Testament written about the year 1500, and preserved (as above mentioned) at Zurich; but it is probable that this was only a copy made for the use of the Piedmontese from the celebrated Provençal version of the Waldenses already described. This Piedmontese New Testament was among the list of books prohibited at Rome in 1740, by a decree of the Congregation of the Index of Prohibited Books.

In 1831, a translation of the New Testament, faithfully rendered from Martin's French version into modern Piedmontese, was forwarded to the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, by Lieut.-Colonel Beckwith. The translation had been made by the Rev. Mr. Berte, pastor of La Tour, and Mr. Geymet of Lausanne. An edition of 1000 copies, printed in the same form and type as the Vaudois Gospels, was completed by the Society in 1834, and the press was corrected by Lieut.Colonel Beckwith. In 1837, 2000 copies of the Gospels of St. Luke and St. John were issued by the Society, in parallel columns with the French text. This edition was followed, in 1841, by the publi cation of a Piedmontese version of the Psalms, executed from Diodati's Italian version. The edition of the Psalms consisted of 1000 copies, printed in parallel columns with the Italian text. Owing to the interested opposition of the Romish priesthood, these editions did not obtain so rapid a circulation as might have been anticipated; and in 1840 the Society's version of the New Testament was put on the Index of forbidden books at Rome. But within recent years, the policy pursued by the Sardinian government in this regard has been one of tolerance, if not of encouragement. At the present moment the sale of Bibles is great at Turin; there are shops opened for the purpose simply as a matter of profit: the higher classes especially have become readers of the Bible. Sardinia, indeed, presents the only bright spot in the whole of Italy, in so far as the circulation of the Word of God is concerned.

ROMONSCH,

OR UPPER AND LOWER-ENGHADINE.

SPECIMEN, FROM ST. JOHN'S GOSPEL, CHAP. I. v. 1 to 14.

THE Grisons, anciently part of Rhotia, constitute the south-eastern angle of Switzerland, and occupy an area of from 2500 to 3000 square miles. The inhabitants amounted in number (in 1849) to 89,840 of this population, about two-fifths are of Germanic and about one-tenth of Italian origin: the Protestants are supposed to number about 62,000 individuals, the remainder being chiefly Roman Catholics. The mountainous parts of this canton are inhabited by the little Romanese nation. The Enghadine, or valley of the Inn, on the borders of the Tyrol, is inhabited by a section of this people, to whom a Romanese dialect called Churwelsche is vernacular. The other Romanese dialect is called Ladiniche, and is spoken in the valley of the Rhine, on the confines of Italy. Both these dialects are derived form the Latin tongue, and preserve to this day the most striking characteristics of the Romance

languages; and they contain among other elements, some Etruscan words, which seem to point to a time anterior to the present division of languages for the origin of these dialects.

The New Testament was printed in the former of these dialects in 1560, and the whole Bible in 1679. In the latter, the Bible was published in 1719. These editions were all printed in the Grisons, but they were soon exhausted, and as no further impressions were issued, a copy was scarcely attainable at the beginning of the present century. A company of Christians at Basle, therefore, projected an edition for the use of these mountaineers, and under the auspices of the Basle Bible Society, and with the aid of the parent institution, the New Testament in Churwelsche left the press in 1810. But when the poor Ladins heard what a treasure their neighbours on the Tyrolese frontier had got, they expressed a very strong desire to have the same in their dialect. The Bible Societies of London and Basle promptly consented to grant them this boon, and in 1813 an edition of 2000 copies of the New Testament in Ladiniche had left the press.

Several subsequent editions of the New and Old Testaments have been issued by the Basle Bible Society in both dialects. The last edition of which we have any particular account was that of 1834, published at the expense of the British and Foreign, the Coire, and the Geneva Bible Societies: it consisted of 2000 copies of the New Testament, and was chiefly designed for a considerable number of shepherds who pass away the summer in the mountains, without the aid of any religious instruction. The Rev. Colany Née, of Lemè, remarked on this occasion, "The Spirit of God has scarcely begun to be heard in a whisper in these mountains; but I have found, generally speaking, that the word of God is esteemed, and frequently read, and that it is in the possession of most of the Protestant families in the canton."

We add a specimen of the Enghadine dialect of earlier date (1640):—

SPECIMEN, FROM ST. JOHN, CHAP. I. v. 1 to 12.

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IN l' principi eira l' Plæd: & l' Plæd eira tiers Dieu; & Dieu eira l' plæd. 2 Quel eira in principi tiers Dieu. Tuottas chioffes fun fattas træs el: & fainza el eis fat unguotta da que chi eis fat. In el eira la vita, & la vita eira la lgüfch de la glieut. Et la Lgüsch lguscha in la fchürezza, & las fchürezzas nun l' haun compraifa. Un hom tramis da Dieu eira, cum nom Joannes. 7 Quel venn per effer perdüta, acció ch' el defs perdüta de la Lgüsch: per chi a tuots craieffen træs el. El nun eira la Lgüsch ma per ch' el rendefs teftimonianza de la Lgüsch: Quel eira la vaira Lgüsch, chi inlgümna feodün hom chi vain in l' muond. 10 El eira in l' muond, & l' muond eis fat træs el: & l' muond nun l' ho cuntfchieu. 11 El eis gnieu fün l' fieu, & l's feis nun l'haun prains fü. 12 Mu quaunts chi l' haun prains fü, ho el do ad els puffaunza da dvanter filgs da Dieu, à quels chi craien in fieu Nom.

CLASS III.-INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGES.

Γ. THRACO-ILLYRIAN FAMILY.

ALBANIAN.

SPECIMEN, FROM ST. JOHN'S GOSPEL, CHAP. I. v. 1 to 14.

Κὲ περπάρα ἴο Φγιάλλια, ἐ Φγιάλλια ἴϋ μὲ Περντίνε πάσκε, ἐ Φγιάλλια

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ἴ Περντί. Κεγιὸ ἴσ μὲ περπάρα πάσκε μὲ Περντίνε. * Τὲ μίθα πρέϊγ ἀσάϊγ οὐ πένε, ἐ πὰ ἀτὲ νούκ ̓ οὐ πὲ ντονιὲς γιὰ σὰ γιάνε πέῤῥε. * Μπὰ τὲ ἴστε γέτα, ἐ γέτα ἵσ δρίτ ̓ ἐ νιέρεζετ. Ε δρίτα λὰμψ ντὲ ἐρεσίρε, ἐ ἐρεσίρα σμουντ τὰ μπάγε ἀτέ. · Κὲ νιὲ ὑπερὶ δερμούαρε γιὰ Περντία, ἔμερ ̓ ἱτἰγ Ιωάνν. ' Κούϊγ ἔρδι πὲρ μαρτυρὶ, τὲ μαρτυρίσγε πὲρ δρίτε, κὲ τὲ πεσόγενε τίθε μὲ ἄνε τὲ τίγ. * Αϊ νούκὲ κὲ δρίτα, πὸ πὲρ τὲ δένε μαρτυρὶ πὲρ δρίτε. ° Ιστε δρίτα ἐ βερτέτε, μὲ ντρὶτ τζδὸ νιερί κὲ βγιὲν ντὲ κετὲ γέτε. 1 Ντὲ πότε κὲ, Ντὲ πότε κὲ, ἐ πότα πρέϊγ σὶ κὲ πέῤῥε, ἐ πότα νούκ' ἐ νιόχου ἀτέ. Ντὲ τὲ τίγτε ἔρδι, ἐ τὲ τίγτε ἀτὲ νούκ ̓ ἐ δέξνε. “ Ε σὰ μὲ ἐ δέξνε ἀτὲ, οὐ δὰ ἀτοῦρε ἑξουσὶ τὲ πένισνε πίγτ ̓ ἐ Περντίσε, μπ ̓ ἀτὰ κὲ πεσούανε μπ ̓ ἔμερ τὲ τίγ. 18 Ατὰ ἂς πρέϊγ Γιάκουτ, ἄς πρέϊγ θελίμετ σὲ κούρμιτ, ἂς πρέϊγ θελίμετ σὲ πούῤῥιτ, τὸ πρέϊγ Περντίσε λένε. " Ε φγιάλια οὐ πὲ νιερὶ, ἐντένι μπὲ νέβετ ντὲ κοὺρμ τὲ ὑιερίουτ, (ἐ πὰμ λεβδίμν ̓ ἐτὶγ, πόσι λεβδὶμ τὲ πίῤῥιτ σὲ βέτεμε γκὰ παπάϊ) πλιὸτ μὲ δουρετὶ, ἐ μὲ τὲ βερτέτε.

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I. GEOGRAPHICAL EXTENT AND STATISTICS.

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THIS language is vernacular in Albania, a country which, in point of situation and extent, coincides with the ancient Epirus and Illyricum. It lies partly opposite to the Ionian Islands, and extends for more than 250 miles along the Mediterranean and Adriatic coasts. The Arnauts or Skipetars (as the Albanians are usually called) differ in language and in physical conformation from all the other tribes of Europe, and are supposed to be the descendants of the ancient Illyrians.

The total population of Albania amounts, according to a recent writer, to about 1,600,000, amongst whom are 200,000 Greeks. But the Arnaut race is also extensively dispersed throughout the modern kingdom of Greece (within which the Albanians number 173,000 individuals), and in some of the neighbouring provinces of Turkey, and is found scattered over the countries of south-eastern Europe in general. Albanians constituted, at one time, the entire population of Hydra, Spezzia, Paros, and other Greek islands, and they are to be met with in Servia, and on the coasts of Calabria, in Southern Italy.

The entire number of persons belonging to the Albanian race is about two millions. They belong, for the most part, to the Greek Church, but many are Mohammedans. The inhabitants of Albania proper are nominally subject to Turkey, but are ruled by chieftains who are in a great measure independent: they are wild and predatory in their habits, and are equally dreaded by their Greek and Turkish neighbours.

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LANGUAGE.

The learned Leibnitz was the first to think that the Albanian language was allied to the Celtic family; a surmise which subsequent discoveries have proved correct. The Albanians (i.e. inhabitants of Alps, like the Gaelic Albanach, and the Irish, Alban for Scotland, Albion for England) call themselves Skipetars, which in their language means rocky-land, or country. The language they speak consists more than one half of words derived, most from the Latin, Greek, German; less from the Turkish, and least from the Sclavonic: the other half forms the Albanian tongue properly so called, a remnant of the aboriginal idiom, which bears affinity to the Basque, and to other Celtic and primeval dialects. It also contains words from the Coptic; and others which, through their Germanic affinity, bear strong resemblance to English terms. It is a peculiar, and, from its antiquity, an interesting language, which was unwritten till about the beginning of the seventeenth century, when R. D. F. Blanchus or Bianchi, a Roman Catholic missionary, wrote the Dictionarium Latino-Epiroticum, printed in Rome, 1635, in 8vo. P. Budi da Pietra Bianca translated Bellarmin's Catechism, which was printed in Rome, 1665, in 12mo. P. Bogolanus composed in Albanian and Italian the Cuneus Prophetarum, Patavii, 1685, 2 vols. in folio; and Francesco Maria da Lecce, a member of the Propaganda, made an attempt to reduce it to rule, and eventually embodied it in a grammar, which he called, "a new sign in the grammatical heavens." An alphabet peculiar to that language was introduced when it was first cultivated; but the Greek characters, with various signs to denote the peculiar sounds of the language, are now generally used in printing Albanian books: the books printed in Italy, however, are all in Latin letters.

III.-VERSION OF THE SCRIPTURES IN THIS LANGUAGE.

The Albanians possessed no version of the Scriptures till the year 1819, when Dr. Pinkerton, agent of the British and Foreign Bible Society, employed a native Albanian (by name Evangelos Mexicos) to prepare a translation of the New Testament into Albanian. This native had been recommended to Dr. Pinkerton by some of the first dignitaries of the Greek communion, as a person eminently qualified for the work. The revision of Mr. Mexicos' labours was entrusted to Gregory, archbishop of Negropont. The translation and entire revision of the New Testament was accomplished in 1825, and in the same year an edition of the Gospel of St. Matthew, printed in parallel columns with the Greek version by Hilarion, was struck off for immediate distribution. The Testament was completed at press in 1827, at Corfu, under the superintendence of the Rev. I. Lowndes. The whole expense of the work was borne by the Ionian Bible Society. Opportunities for its circulation have hitherto been few, and it never reached a second edition. It has, however, been recently determined by the British and Foreign Bible Society to print an edition of the New Testament in parallel Greek and Albanian, and this work is in course of preparation at Athens. In the course of a visit to Albania in 1856, Mr. Lowndes (the Society's agent) observed many encouraging indications of a growing demand for the Word of God.