11-22-1934 binge R. Spaulding add.Ed. 1560 489 1803 PREFACE. THE approbation with which the world has received my little Latin collection of select stories from the Old Testament, has determined me to present it with a second collection from profane authors, together with some of their moral precepts. My design has been, in both, to put into the hands of children, and others that begin to learn the Latin tongue, some little pieces, that might be easy to understand, and at the same time might improve their morals. No doubt can be made but that the Holy Scriptures afford us those advantages, which is the reason probably, that has induced so many masters, both in a public and private character, to make their scholars read that collection. That this might, as far as possible, merit the same esteem, I thought it incumbent on me not to lose sight of those two objects, clearness of thought and expres... sion, and usefulness The means I have taken to facilitate the understanding of the originals, have undoubtedly made them lose somewhat of their force and beauty: but, I dare promise, enough of these is left to render them pleasing and profitable to children. And I thought it would be doing no injury to the intention of the illustrious dead, whose works are designed for posterity, if in favour of tender years, which are to be taught betimes to reap advantage from the lessons they have set, and to apply the remedies (as one of them expresses it*) which they have prepared for all mankind, I diminished somewhat of their majesty and ornaments. These will disclose themselves to their young disciples in all their brightness, and in all their charms, as soon as they shall be capable of understanding them. With all the facility we have endeavoured to give this little piece, we may now and then have left in it places somewhat difficult to children. It is not therefore to be expected, that they who have but a slender knowledge of the first rudiments of the Latin tongue, should with ease understand it without the help of a master. It will be with this, as with the easiest classic authors, to understand which every one at first has need of an interpreter and guide. The advantage that it has above them, which yet we are far from intending to banish out of schools, is, that it unites, and places, as it were, in one point of view, a great number of maxims and examples, which may not only by their variety gain the attention of youth, but also contribute to the forming of their manners; the greatest advantage that can be drawn from reading Heathen authors. We shall there see, that these Heathens, even in the midst of the darkness of idolatry, teach us, that the Providence of God is not only watchful over all men in general, but over every individual: That he knows our most secret thoughts: and that it is he who inspires us with good ones, as well as condemns and punishes the evil: that the true worship due to him consists in purity * Posterorum negotium ago. Illis aliqua, quæ possint prodesse, conscribo. Salutares admonitiones, velut medicamentorum utilium compositiones, literis mando. Senec. Epist. viii. of heart; and that unlawful desires are no more permitted than criminal actions: that he proves good men by afflictions, and gives them strength to bear them that the happiness of man consists neither in pleasures, nor honours, nor opulence; but in virtue that we ought not to indulge the body with any thing further than what is necessary for its support: that it is our duty to suffer injuries, not to render evil for evil; but to do good to all mankind, even our very enemies that there is no such thing as true friendship, but what has virtue for its foundation and end: That it is better to lose our quiet, our liberty, our life, than to be wanting to our duty, &c. : Good examples, generally of greater force than precept, especially on the minds of young people, here present themselves in great variety, and render virtue more lovely and respectful. Sometimes we see generals of armies, whether Greeks or Romans, who having gone through the greatest employments of the state, and enriched their country with the spoils of their enemies, died so very poor, as not to leave enough to defray their funeral expences. Sometimes, fathers renouncing the tenderest sentiments of nature, to secure the public liberty, and maintain the discipline of the army: or children inspired with courage by filial piety, and rendered ingenious to preserve the lives of those from whom they received their own. The richest bribes were not able to tempt the noble disinterested spirit of Curii, the Fabricii, the Phocions, or that of Xenocrates. Nor the roughest threats, prison, exile, or death, to shake the constancy of the Cato's, the Marelli, the Regulli. Il usage by them is borne with patience, is dissembled, forgot, pardoned. With them friendship is sacred, religious, sincere; liberty, prudent and industrious: a frugal table, and plainness in dress, in furniture and house, is equally the taste of great generals and philosophers. Judges and magistrates are clear, just, disinterested. Kings have the bowels of fathers for their subjects. Virtue is practised through love of duty, without any view of recompence; and nothing appears interesting that is not entirely agreeable to justice. In a word, the reader has here an assemblage of several strokes of morality and history, many of which may serve as rules and models for different conditions of life, and at the same time give some pleasure by the diversity of matter which they treat of; so that this little work, though designed for children, will not, perhaps, displease persons of more advanced years, who will here find summed up, what they formerly read dispersed up and down in various authors. If, amid so many examples of different virtues, we have mixed some of contrary vices, it was only to show the deformity of the latter, and to make them the more detested. We know what Livy has said of history in general*, That it furnisheth examples of every kind: some of which are patterns to be imitated, and others are admonitions in regard to what we ought to shun. The examples I have chosen, are sometimes a little diffuse and circumstantial, and the precepts of morality more largely explained. Often, on the other hand, both are concise, and no more than the answer of some great general or philosopher. The latter have this advantage, that they are the more easily retained. They are a sort of lively strokes, that penetrate deep: agreeable to the observation of Senecat, who tells us, in his time, they made children learn moral maxims comprised in few words. And Quintilian ‡ likewise advises to teach them, by way of diversion, the wise sayings of great men, and certain verses selected out of the poets. As I found it necessary to mix precepts with examples, as Cicero has done, that they might illustrate and enforce each other; I thought I could not do better than dispose this great field of matter agreeably to the inethod he has followed in his first Book of Offices, and * Hoc illud est præcipuè in cognitione rerum salubrė ac frugiferum, omnis te exempli documenta in illustri posita monumento intueri : inde tibi tuæque reipublicæ, quod imitere, capias; inde foedum inceptu, foedum exitu, quod vites. 1. i. in præf. + Faciliùs singula præcepta incidunt circumscripta, et carminis modo inclusa. Ideò pueris et sententias ediscendas damus: quia complecti eas puerilis animus potest. Senec. Epist. 33. Vide et Epist. 38. 94. Etiam dicta clarorum virorum et electos ex poëtis maximè locos. discere inter lusum Quinctil. 1. i. c. 2. |
