Books II.-VII. First Part.--On the imposition of names. Thus subdivided-- _a_ ii-iv. On etymology. ii. What can be said against it. iii. What can be said for it. iv. About its form and character. _b_ v.-vii. Origin of words. v. Names of places and all that is in them. vi. Names of time, things that happen in time, &c. vii. Poetical words. Books VIII.-XIII. Second Part.--On declension and inflection. Again subdivided-- _a_ viii.-x. The general method (_disciplina_) of declension. viii. Against a universal analogy obtaining. ix. In favour of it. x. On the theory of declension. _b_ xi.-xiii. On the special declensions. Books XIV.-XXV. Third Part.--On syntax (_Quemadmodum verba inter se coniungantur_). Of this elaborate treatise only books V.-X. remain, and those in a mutilated and unsatisfactory condition, so that we are unable to form a clear idea of the value of the whole. Moreover, much of what we have is rendered useless, except for antiquarian purposes, by the extremely crude notions of etymology displayed. _Caelum_ is from _cavus_, or from _chaos_; _terra_ from _teri, quia teritur_; _Sol_ from _solus_; _lepus_ from _levipes_, &c. The seventh book must always be a repertory of interesting quotations, many of which are not found elsewhere; and the essay on _Analogia_ in books IX. and X. is well worthy of study, as showing on what sort of premises the ancients formed their grammatical reasonings. The work on grammar was followed or preceded by another on philosophy on a precisely similar plan. This was studied, like so many of his other works, by Tertullian, Jerome, and Augustine. Its store of facts was no doubt remarkable, but as a popular exposition of philosophical ideas, it must have been very inferior to the treatises of Cicero.