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

LATIN LANGUAGE.

BY C. SMART, A. M.

OF PEMBROKE-COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

IN TWO VOLUME S.

VOL. I.

DUBLIN:

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

1793.

PREFA C E.

THE following verfion being the work of a man, who has made poetry, perhaps, too much the bufinefs of his life, fome account of his motives for undertaking it may feem neceffary. 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 fuccefs which attempts of this kind have met with, though by men who manifeftly did not understand the author, any otherwife than through a French medium; though printed in large volumes; and fold at a proportionable price; gave fufficient reason for the tranflator to hope, that his labour would not be in vain; I fay labour; for genius, if he had any pretenfions to it, could not have been exerted in the work before us.

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

vice.

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

The learned reader need not be informed, that this version was not intended for him; though some of the moft eminent of that character have condefcended to examine the manufcript, and given it the fanction 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 fheets fome emendations and improvements, which have efcaped former editors. What errors there may be, either of the prefs or otherwife, will be found, perhaps, of fuch a nature, and fo feldom to oc

cur, that they may be rather of fervice, by giving the young kudent some opportunities of fhewing his fagacity in the difcovery of them.

I fhall

I fhall 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:
Aggreffis labor arduus
Nec tractabile pondus est
Par exanimis æftus eft
Ceu fublimia differas

Par eft judicii mora

Pompa 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.