To this important exercise of Construing succeeds that of DOUBLE TRANSLATION; the method which Cicero and the younger Pliny recommended to those who desired to acquire the Greek language, and which Ascham, the enlightened preceptor of Queen Elizabeth, employed with so much success in the education of that learned princess. Heretofore his example could not well be pleaded, so much depending on that previous grounding of the pupil, first in "the cause and matter of the lesson;" secondly, "the construing it into English so oft as the child may easily carry away the understanding of it;" lastly, "the parsing it over perfectly," which he personally attended to, and strictly enjoins; but, by the aid of the Interlinear Translations and Parsing Lessons, all this is now done so completely for the pupil, that the old objection to the want of sufficient preparatory instruction is removed, and the plan is made capable of universal adoption. Conscious of its value we gladly introduce it into our system, and esteem ourselves fortunate, that, by a combination of Locke's method with this, we have been able to render efficacious two of the most powerful instruments that ever were devised for the furtherance of education; each of which, for want of some cooperative power, was useless, except in the hands of its inventor, and of a few other persons gifted with similar talent, and equally zealous in the beneficial employment of it.

But we do not rest here: our system proceeds to accomplish the pupil in LATIN COMPOSITION, both in prose and verse, though not in the way usually practised in public schools, which Locke censures as 66 a sort of Egyptian tyranny, to bid them make bricks who have not yet any of the materials;" and Milton condemns, as 66 a preposterous exaction, forcing the empty wits of children to compose themes, verses, and orations, which are the acts of ripest judgment, and the final work of a head filled, by long reading and observing, with elegant maxims and copious invention. These are not matters," he adds, "to be wrung from poor striplings, like blood out of the nose, or the plucking untimely of fruit."

We give no scope for such remarks as these in the species of composition required by our system. The student is not compelled to furnish worthy thoughts as well as fit language, "perplexing his brains," as Locke observes, "about inven

tion of things to be said, not about the signification of words to be learned: and when boys are making a theme," he truly says, "it is thoughts they search and sweat for, not language." An imitation, paraphrase, abridgement, or translation of the finest passages of our best English authors, is all that we ask : if the pupil chooses to be original, he may, but there is no task of the kind imposed: all that is imperative on him is the expression of his own conceptions, or those of others, in the purest latinity; and this is required that he may be the nicer judge of the power of the language when he reads it in the works of others, as well as that he may be himself capable of writing and speaking it elegantly and correctly. As for Versification, whether in Latin or English, it is nothing but a more artful and pleasing way of arranging words, which by a certain degree of skill any one may attain, though this attainment may differ very much from Poetry; and when we speak of teaching Versification, we mean that art by which the scholar, in practising the various kinds of verse, is qualified to appreciate more correctly the verses of professed poets in their native language. The other use which is made of this art in public schools, viz. to impress more deeply on the mind of the pupil the recollection of the quantity of Latin syllables, so that he may rightly pronounce each word, is not of any consequence in our system, where a correct pronunciation is taught at the commencement.

LATIN CONVERSATION flows naturally from the course of instruction we pursue. Its elements are acquired in the earlier stage of our proceedings, and the phraseology thus imbibed insensibly takes the form adapted to the expression of our thoughts, as we advance in our acquaintance with the language; so that the power of conversing in Latin is not so much an effort as an impulse of the learner's mind. He begins to think in the words that spring up, as it were spontaneously, to convey his thoughts to others. His tongue incontinently utters "in good set terms" whatever his mind conceives, and though these common-place forms of expression are by no means desirable as the characteristic of an English style, they are undoubtedly the most proper, because the most classical modes, in which it is possible to use a dead language.

We pretend not to say, how easily or how soon, any one may become a good Latin or Greek scholar by our system : the authority of those eminent men, from whom we have derived it, supersedes the necessity of such declarations on our part. Locke affirms, "Whatever stir there is made about getting of Latin, as the great and difficult business, his mother may teach it him herself if she will spend two or three hours a day with him." But we carry his method farther, joining others with it, which perhaps may be thought to render it a more difficult and tedious study. Ascham, however, tells us, that in eight months, a young gentleman of his acquaintance arrived at so perfect a knowledge by the means he recommends, as to be able to translate the English which he gave him into Latin, 66 so choicely, so orderly, so without any great miss in the hardest points of grammar, that some in seven years in grammar schools, yea, and some in the University too, cannot do half so well." Another example he gives us in Queen Elizabeth, who, "in the space of a year or two attained to such a perfect understanding in both the tongues [Greek and Latin] and to such a ready utterance of the Latin [in conversation] and that with a judgment, as they be few in number in both Universities, or elsewhere in England, that be in both tongues comparable with her Majesty." More to the same effect might be added, but we shall conclude with Milton's memorable opinion which forms the motto for our system: "We do amiss to spend seven or eight years merely in scraping together so much miserable Latin and Greek, as might be learned otherwise easily and delightfully in ONE YEAR." That his view of the means to be employed in this case coincides with our own, his following words declare: for after speaking of the poor striplings at grammar schools, and "the ill habit which they get of wretched barbarizing against

Latin and Greek idiom, with their untutored Anglicisms, us to be read, yet not to be avoided without a well-contid and judicious conversing among prose authors digested, ch they scarce taste" he adds, "whereas if after some paratory grounds of speech by their certain forms got into memory, they were led to the praxis thereof, in some sen short book LESSONED THOROUGHLY TO THEM, they ;ht then forthwith proceed to learn the substance of good

xii

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

things and arts, in due order, which would bring the whole language quickly into their power." The short book lessoned thoroughly to them, is evidently such a work as we produced in our Interlinear Translations, and the Parsing Lessons make it a praxis of the grammar. "This," he continues, "I take to be the most rational and most profitable way of learning languages, and whereby we may hope to give account to God of our youth spent herein."

But are we of opinion that the language may, by the means we prescribe, be learnt in one year? Yes; and we would affirm with Milton, easily and delightfully too. But let not the shortness of this term deceive any one into the expectation, that in one year the language is to be acquired, and all the best books in it read. Much remains to be done after the art of reading English is attained: and of course the mere understanding of the Latin or Greek language does not bring with it of necessity the comprehension of those subjects which are treated of by the greatest authors in either of those languages. We have been so much accustomed to consider a knowledge of the language every thing, that we forget or do not reflect that this is only valuable as a means of arriving at a knowledge of things. It is true, that, by the variety of our initiatory books, we shall lead the pupil to a practical acquaintance with the style of every author, by which he will obtain a thorough insight into the peculiarities of the whole language but even this is but an introduction; if he would learn truly what is possible to be gained, he will apply himself to the complete mastery of the matter of each author, and endeavour to become skilled in the "substance of good things and arts in due order." "A complete and generous educa tion," says the same great authority," that which fits a man to perform justly, skilfully, and magnanimously, all the offices, both public and private, of peace and war, may be gi youth between twelve and one-and-twenty, less time th now bestowed in pure trifling with grammar and sophist›

we put it in the power of every one to secure such an cation; but upon his own exertions will depend the degre his success.

February 1st, 1827.

THE FIRST BOOK

OF

VIRGIL'S ENEID.

CANO arma virumque, qui primus ab

oris

I-SING arms and-the-man, who first from the-coasts

Troja, profugus fato, venit Italiam

Lavīnaque

of-Troy, driven by-fate, came-to Italy and-the-Lavinian

litora. Multùm ille jactātus [-est]* et terris† et

because-of

Multa 5

anger of-cruel

Juno.

Many-things

on-the-deep, by-the-influence of-the-Powers-above,

memorem iram Sævæ Junōnis. the-mindful

* Whenever, in poetry, this participle is set alone, the sense reiring a verb, it must be understood to represent the perfect tense. + The Romans used to designate our world by the expression is terrarum" the circle of lands, as in line 233 :" hence terræ is en used in the plural for "the earth."

B