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ENGLISH PROSE;

For the Ufe of those who are desirous of acquiring or
recovering a competent Knowledge of the

LATIN LANGUAGE.

BY C. SMART, A. M.

OF PEMBROKE-COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

DUBLIN:

PRINTED BY P. WOGAN, NO. 23, OLD-BRIDGE.

1

BAITISH

LIBRARY

PREFACE.

THE following verfion being the work of a

man, who has made poetry, perhaps, too much the business of his life, some account of his motives for undertaking it may feem necessary. In the first place, then, there was reason to believe that a thing of this kind, properly executed, would be very useful to those who are defirous of acquiring or recovering a competent knowledge of the Latin tongue. Secondly, the extraordinary fuccess which attempts of this kind have met with, though by men who manifestly did not understand the author, any otherwise than through a French medium; though printed in large volumes; and fold at a proportionable price; gave sufficient reason for the tranflator to hope, that his labour would not be in vain; I say labour; for genius, if he had any pretenfions to it, could not have been exerted in the work before us.

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The purchafer will herein find, that cheapnefs and convenience, have been confulted for his fervice.

Though every line is construed almost verbatim, yet absolute baldness has been, as much as poffible, avoided.

The learned reader need not be informed, that this version was not intended for him; though fome of the most eminent of that character have condescended to examine the manufcript, and given it the sanction of their approbation.

With regard to the Latin text, the best editions have been diligently confulted; and it is prefumed the judicious will find in the following sheets some emendations and improvements, which have efcaped former editors. What errors there may be, either of the press or otherwise, will be found, perhaps, of such a nature, and so seldom to occur, that they may be rather of service, by giving the young kudent some opportunities of shewing his fagacity in the discovery of them.

I shall I shall take leave of my reader in the words of an old poet, which are applicable enough to this undertaking:

Dumos inter et afpera
Scrupofis fequimur vadis,
Fronte exile negotium
Et dignum pueris putes :
Aggrefflis labor arduus
Nec tractabile pondus est
Par exanimis æstus est
Ceu fublimia disseras
Par est judicii mora
Pompæ gloria vilis est.

TERENT. MAURRUS.

N. B. This work will be particularly useful to fuch foreign Gentlemen as are already acquainted with the Latin, and are defirous of being mafters of the English tongue.

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