✓ ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the Year One Thousand Eight Hur. dred and Fifty-three, by PETER BULLIONS, D. D., in the Clerk's Office of the Northern District of New York. PREFACE. In the study of any language, the foundation of success must be laid m a thorough acquaintance with its principles. This being once attained, future progress becomes easy and rapid. To the student of language, therefore, a good Grammar, which must be his constant companion, is of all his books the most important. Such a work, to be really valuable, ought to be simple in its arrangement and style, so as to be adapted to the capacity of youth, for whose use it is designed; comprehensive, and accurate, so as to be a sufficient and certain guide in the most difficult as well as in easy cases; and its principles and rules should be rendered familiar by numerous examples and exercises. The fundamental principles are nearly the same in all languages. So far as Grammar is concerned, the difference lies chiefly in the minor details-in the forms and inflections of their words, and in the modes of ex pression peculiar to each, usually denominated idioms. It would seem, therefore, to be proper, in constructing Grammars for different languages, that the principles, so far as they are the same, should be arranged in the same order, and expressed as nearly as possible in the same words. Where this is carefully done, the study of the Grammar of one language becomes an important aid in the study of another;—an opportunity is afforded of seeing wherein they agree, and wherein they differ, and a profitable exercise is furnished in comparative or general grammar. But when a Latin Grammar is put into the hands of the student, differing widely in its arrangement or phraseology from the English Grammar which he had previously studied, and afterwards a Greek Grammar different from both, not only is the benefit derived from the analogy of the different languages in a great measure lost, but the whole subject is made to appear intolerably intricate and mysterious. By the publication of this series of Grammars, English, Latin, and Greek, on the same plan, this evil is now remedied probably as far as it can be done. The work here presented to the public, is upon the foundation of ADAM'S LATIN GRAMMAR, so long and so well known as a text book in this country The object of the present undertaking was, to combine with all that is excellent in the work of Adam, the many important results of subsequent labors in this field; to supply its defects; to bring the whole up to that point which the present state of classical learning requires, and to give it such a form as to render it a suitable part of the series formerly projected. In accomplishing this object, the author has availed himself of every aid within his reach, and no pains have been spared to render this work as complete as possible in every part. His acknowledgments are due for the assistance derived from the excellent works of Scheller, Crombie, Zumpt, Andrews & Stoddard, and many others, on the whole ~ on separate parts of this undertaking; and also for many hints kindly hed by distinguished teachers in this country. As in the other grammars, so here, the rules and leading parts which should be first studied, are printed in larger type; and the filling up of this outline is comprised in observations and notes under them, made easy of reference by the sections and numbers prefixed. The whole is now committed to the judgment of an intelligent public, in the hope that something has been done to smooth the path of the learner in the successful prosecution of his studies, and to subserve the interests of both English and Classical literature in this country. REVISED EDITION. New plates having become necessary for this work, the opportunity has been embraced of thoroughly revising and improving it. The rules, definitions, and leading parts, with very few exceptions, remain just as they were; but still, some things deemed important have been added in many places in the form of new Observations, or of additions to the former ones. On this account, the pages of this edition do not correspond to those of former editions; but this will occasion no difficulty, as the Sections, Observations, etc., are arranged and numbered as they were before. Besides this mode of reference, which is still retained, the simpler method, by a running series of numbers, from first to last, as in the English Grammars, has been added. A leading object kept constantly in view, in the revision of this work, as well as of the Greek Grammar just completed, has been, to bring about a still greater uniformity in the works composing this series, and to indicate more fully and distinctly wherein the languages agree, and wherein they differ. The additions that have been made to this work, amount in all to about twenty-eight pages, and no labor or expense has been spared to render the work in all respects more worthy of that favor with which it has already been received. New York, June, 1853 |