Entered according to the act of Congress, in the year 1831, by Hillia the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of Massa

PREFACE.

THIS selection from the History of Livy is published with particular reference to those Colleges and higher schools, in which the first Five Books have hitherto formed a part of the course of Latin studies. The editor, by his experience as an instructer in Harvard University, was led to observe that the volume in common use, though it contains some of the finest passages of this writer, is yet in great part uninteresting to young students. To such, many of the details, which are necessary to the completeness of the Roman annals, prove wearisome from their similarity, if not from their want of importance. And to say nothing of the injustice done to the author by taking arbitrarily the first five books of a History of infinite variety, and consisting, as he wrote it, of at least one hundred and forty books (from thirty-five of which we still have a choice), justice is thus hardly rendered to those who may never have an opportunity to read more of the work than is compre hended in their early studies, or whose reading of the whole may depend on the impression given by this part.

Until he had principally made this selection, the editor was unable to learn that any book, having the same object, had been published; nor is he yet aware that any such is in use in Great Britain or in the South of Europe; but the kindness of friends has furnished him with two, published in Germany in the course of the last century.* Of these,

* Livius pro Prima Classe Gymnasiorum Scholarumque Latinarum ita excerptus, ut intra Anni Spatium prælegi possit, et simul Historia in Connexione cum Fide, Ingenio, Stiloque Livii gustentur. A M. MARTINO

α

the earlier one does not extend beyond the fi books, is without notes, and otherwise is far f prepared with so good judgment as the other, accompanied by notes, generally in Latin, but

in German.

All the extracts in the later one found also in the present volume, besides others purpose of the selection seemed equally to requ propriety of giving the First Book entire will be all who consider how often the subject of it is a both in ancient and modern literature; while, wi to the remainder of the volume, the world has been agreed as to what are masterpieces, to leave any do the absolute excellence of the particular passages much hesitation in preferring them to many other only to these. The editor has endeavoured to volume from the appearance of unconnected frag giving entire the Epitome of all the books from t the last of those embraced in it, the portions w respond to the text being distinguished by a lar But, even without this bond of connexion, it is beli

FRIDER. SOERGEL, Gymnasii Martinei Brunsvicensis Recto Reg. Teut. Gott. Memb. Lemgoviæ, 1771. 12mo. pp. 296. reprinted in 1784, and a second volume was added, embracin twenty-three books. See Index Editionum in the Bipontine e

T. Livii Patavini Historiarum Liber I. et Selecta quæda Scholis Moguntinensibus adornavit JOHANN. CASPARUS Mü terarum Humaniorum in Academiâ Moguntinâ Professor. 1780. 12mo. pp. 570.

*These Epitome by some, with little reason however, hav tributed to Livy himself; but, whoever was their author, tl classical stamp, and are models of the kind of composition to belong. Laboring under the odium of having been, as the for the full History, the probable occasion of the negligence v that was kept, and thus of the loss of the greater part of it, th is sometimes spoken of contemptuously; but Gravina (De In Studiorum) does not hesitate to recommend the study of th Liviana to young persons, "ut quæ longè simplicior et ca Flori et Velleji libris, resque exprimat propriis et convenienti absque fuco et argutiis."

the book will be found to possess a good degree of unity; few events being mentioned as if within the reader's knowledge, of which an account has not been given in some preceding extract.

The text of Drakenborch has been adopted, as, on the whole, of the highest authority; but, Livy being the author first read in our Colleges, care has been taken to conform the orthography of those words which may be variously written, to the Dictionaries and Grammars in common use. With a similar regard to the condition of newly formed classes, necessarily consisting of individuals of different degrees of proficiency, certain ambiguous words are distinguished by accents; but students should become accustomed to dispense with these facilities in some part of their course, for modern editions of the classics rarely afford them.*

The notes, which are chiefly derived from the editions of Müller, Doering, and Ruperti, fill as much space as could well be allowed to them in this edition, since it was thought best not to exceed the size of the volume for which this is proposed as a substitute. In quantity, however, that volume is considerably exceeded by the present. The notes are devoted principally to the First Book, because more real difficulties occur here, and because the student must be supposed to need fewer explanations as he advances, from having become

* In employing accentual marks, Ruddiman's rules are followed. "In declinable words of the same form with words declinable, and preposi tions used without a case, as adverbs, have a grave accent on the last syllable;" and, agreeably to Ruddiman also, this accent is not changed to an acute when an enclitic follows, since the purpose for which the mark is here used has no connexion with the sound. When, however, the declinable word is such as is found very rarely, and the indeclinable word of the same spelling is of very frequent occurrence, the accent is omitted, e. g. satis, magis, sæpe. "Contracted syllables are marked with a circumflex; also the final syllable of the ablative of the first declension," and this (contrary to Ruddiman) even when the governing preposition is expressed.

accustomed to the peculiarities of the author's style. over, the ambiguities which give occasion for many notes in the editions above named, are taken away f by the use of accents. Adam's "Roman Antiqu referred to in a few instances, but chiefly for the pu suggesting the sort of subjects respecting which it sho stantly be consulted; for it is presumed that this well as a "Classical Dictionary" for historical illustr in the possession of every student. Such remarks a of an historical nature, take for granted the essential Livy's History; for it would be foreign to the purpose book to enter into any discussion of what is now so m subject of research, and, with some, of skepticism.

The short Encomium on Livy, with which the closes, will not be deemed extravagant by him wh have diligently read and thoroughly understood and that precedes. Nor will it, to a part, at least, of the whose use the book is intended, be less acceptable for clothed in the dialect of Modern Italy. Let such sei opportunity, afforded them by a munificent public est ment, of entering the delightful field of Italian lite adjacent, as it is, to the Roman and Greek, if it rather a part of the same vast domain. Nor let those, w not equally favored, be deterred from seeking, by them an acquaintance with the fathers of modern learning,

"whos rethorike swete

Enlumined all Itaille,"

and awoke also the minds of our British ancestors in distant island. For, to any youth who is reasonably grounded in the Latin, the study of the Italian, so far task-work, will be a recreation, an ingenuous pastime. ton, in marking out a scheme of liberal education, sup that his pupils, when mid-way in their course, "either