EXPLAINING WORDS AND PHRASES, FROM THE RITES AND BY ALEXANDER ADAM, LL. D. RECTOR OF THE HIGH SCHOOL OF EDINBURGH. THE SECOND EDITION, CONSIDERABLY ENLARGED. EDINBURGH: PRINTED FOR A. STRAHAN, AND T. CADELL, LONDON; M DCC XCII. PREFACE 1 TO THE FIRST EDITION. OTHING has more engaged the attention of No literary men fince the than literary men fince the revival of learning, than to trace from antient monuments the inftitutions and laws, the religion, the manners, and cuftoms of the Romans, under the general name of Roman Antiquities. This branch of knowledge is not only curious in itself, but abfolutely neceffary for understanding the Claffics, and for reading with advantage the hiftory of that celebrated people. It is particularly requifite for fuch as profecute the ftudy of the civil law. Scarcely on any fubject have more books been written, and many of them by persons of distinguished abilities. But they are, for the moft part, too voluminous to be generally useful. Hence a number of abridgements have been published; of which thofe of Kennet and Nieuport are esteemed the best. The latter is on the whole better adapted than the former, to illuftrate the Claffics; but being written in Latin, and abounding with difficult phrafes, is not fitted for the ufe of younger ftudents. Befides, it contains nothing concerning the laws of the Romans, or |