Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

WORKS

OF

HORAСЕ,

Translated Literally into

ENGLISH PROSE;

For the Use of those who are defirous of acquiring
or recovering a competent Knowledge of the
LATIN LANGUAGE.

BY C. SMART, A. М.
OF PEMBROKE-COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.

The THIRD EDITION.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON,

Printed for CARNAN and NEWBERY, at N° 65.
in St. Paul's Church-Yard.

MDCCLXX.

PREFACE.

T

HE following version being the work of a man who has made poetry, perhaps, too much the business of his life, fome 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 desirous of acquiring or recovering a competent knowledge of the Latin tongue. Secondly, the extraordinary success 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, and tho' printed in large volumes, and fold at a proportionable price, gave fufficient reason for the translator to hope, that his labour would not be in vain; I say labour, for genius, if he had VOL. I. any

(

ii

PREFACE

any pretensions to it, could not have been exerted in the work before us.

The purchaser will herein find, that cheapness and convenience have been con. fulted for his service; not to mention the elegance of the paper and print, which, perhaps, may vie with any thing extant.

Though every line is construed almost verbatim, yet absolute baldness has been, as much as possible, 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 manuscript, 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 sheets some emendations and improvements, which have escaped former editors. What errors there may be, either of the press or otherwise, will be found, perhaps,

PREFACE.

111

perhaps, of fuch a nature, and so seldom to occur, that they may be rather of service, by giving the young student some opportunities of shewing his sagacity in the difcovery of them.

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..
Scruposis sequimur vadis
Fronte exile negotium
Et dignum pueris putes :
Aggreffis labor arduus
Nec tractabile pondus est.
Par exanimis æstus est.
Ceu fublimia disseras
Par est judicii mora
Pompæ gloria vilis est.

:

:

TERENT. MAURUS.

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

tongue.

6

Lecto

« PoprzedniaDalej »