A Jesuit grammar in the Anglican London of King James II: The first English edition of Manuel Álvares’ Latin grammar (1686–1687)

Abstract

ABSTRACT With its original division into three books, the Latin grammar Emmanvelis Alvari è Societate Iesv de institvtione grammatica libri tres is one of the worldwide most influential Latin grammars ever since its ars maior and ars minor were first published in 1572 and 1573 by the Portuguese grammarian Manuel Álvares (1526–1583). This paper examines the way in which the three-volume English variant An Introduction to the Latin Tongue (Álvares 1686, I), Emmanuelis Alvari e societate Jesu Grammatica, sive institutionum Linguæ Latinæ Liber Secundus and Liber Tertius (Álvares 1687, II/III) came into being. Based on some key examples of grammatical description, an attempt is made to locate the origins of these volumes within the relevant national textual traditions of Alvaresian grammar.