Rudimenta prima grammatices, ex eruditissimis quibusque grammaticis excerpta

which signify quality or quantity, indeed, those whose signification can be increased or diminished in comparing.

Whence is this quality sought? First, from the soul: as "learned." Second, from the body: as "bright," "black." Third, from fortune: as "happy," "miserable." Fourth, from measure: as "large," "small."

What is a positive? That which signifies its thing without any excess of quality: as "learned."

What is a comparative? That which signifies an excess of some quality with respect to one or more: and it is resolved by the adverb "more": as "more learned than him or them," meaning "more learned," original French: "Plus sauant que cestuy là, ou que ceux là.".

What is a superlative? That which signifies an excess of some quality with respect to many, and it is resolved by the adverb "most": as "most learned of all," meaning "most learned," original French: "Le plus sauant de tous.".

To which case is the comparative degree joined? To the ablative of either number without a preposition, or to the nominative with the particle "than" quàm interposed: and this when we compare someone to his own or another's gender: as, "Hector was stronger than Diomedes," or "bolder than the Trojans": or "stronger than Diomedes," and "bolder than the Trojans."

To which case is the superlative joined? To the genitive plural only, and this when we compare someone to his own kind: as "Hector was the strongest of the Trojans." It is also joined sometimes to the genitive singular, when the nouns are singular in expression but plural in understanding: as, "O bravest of the Danaans, son of Tydeus" reference to Homer's Iliad: "Best of the people."

What is gender? A distinction of sex, and a distinction of the masculine from the others.

How many genders of nouns are there? Seven. Which? Masculine, feminine, neuter, common, "all," promiscuous, and uncertain.

How many of these are principal? Two. Which? Masculine and feminine.

Why so? Because since gender is said to be from "to generate" genero, these two sexes alone generate: the others are generated from them: as is the Neuter gender, which is neither masculine nor feminine. Common, which is masculine and feminine. "All," which contains the aforementioned genders.

What is masculine gender? That which pertains to males only, in that kind of things which receives both sexes: as Man, Theodore, Poet.