given all possible encouragement to the predomi- nance of the German tongue in Hungary. As there has been for centuries no kingly court at Buda, the language has suffered something from the want of that protection which fashion com- municates. The Emperor Joseph issued a Hun- garian decree during the tumults which disturbed his reign; and, in 1790, the Diet encouraged the language by a specific law; but the Diet has not ventured to make the Magyar the recognized lan- guage for official communication. Something like this was anticipated from their last assembly in 1825-27, but the public expectation was disap- pointed.
There are many Hungarian grammars, of which
the oldest is that of John Erdősi, printed at
Vissigath, in 1539. Another was published by
Albert Molnár in 1610, of which an improved
edition appeared at Vienna in 1788. Meliboi's
Ungarischer Sprachmeister, (Presburg, 1787, 6th
ed.,) and Jos. Farkas' Grundliche und Neu Ver-
besserte Ungarische Sprachlehre, originally printed
in 1771, have been reprinted from time to time,
the latter with additions and amendments by P. de
Kis Szonto, and Jos. von Márton. Sam. Gyar-
math's Kritische Grammatik, in 2 vols., is a more
elaborate production; and Paul Bersgszászi's
Versuch einer Magyarischen Sprachlehre has a
