1. CICERO'S SELECT ORATIONS, TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH; WITH THE ORIGINAL LATIN, FROM THE BEST EDITIONS, IN THE OPPOSITE PAGE; AND NOTES HISTORICAL, CRITICAL, AND EXPLANATORY. DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS PRIVATE GENTLEMEN. Marin. Stanton. Alany N. Y. 128. mese. 3.61.62 BY WILLIAM DUNCAN, PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN. A NEW EDITION, CORRECTED. From Sidney's Prels, New-Haven, FOR EVERT DUYCKINCK, BOOK-SELLER, NO. 102, PEARL-STREET, 1811. THE HE Public is here presented with a New Translation of CICERO'S SELECT ORATIONS, calculated chiefly for that scheme of Education, which has been lately introdu ced into our Schools, and pursued with so much success. It was long just matter of complaint, that Youth, at their first entrance on the study of the Latin Tongue, were deftitute of such helps as might contribute to render their way smooth, and remove the difficulties that muft perpetually occur, in attempting to acquire a foreign language. For, after mastering the declensions and conjugations, when they were put upon the reading of Authors, there was a necessity that they either should have a Teacher constantly with them, or that, by means of a Dictionary, they should themselves find out the signification of such words as occurred; the firft is an advantage that but few can attain to; and the last, besides that it is attended with much loss of time, exposes Youth, to perpetual mistakes, as, amidst the great variety of significations that are given, they cannot be supposed capable. of choosing aright. The most obvious remedy for this inconvenience was, along with the original text, to give a literal Translation; and indeed the advantages of this method were so apparent in the Greek Tongue, that one cannot but wonder how it came to be so long before it was introduced in teaching Latin. Custom, it seems, had established a different way; and an attachment to custom often makes men obstinate in absurdities. However, common, sense at last prevailed, and some of the easier Classics, with literal Translations, were put into the hands of Youth. The good consequences of this soon became so |