(-) A COMPENDIUM OF CLASSICAL LITERATURE; COMPRISING CHOICE EXTRACTS, TRANSLATED, FROM THE BEST GREEK AND ROMAN WRITERS, WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, ACCOUNTS OF THEIR WORKS, AND NOTES DIRECTING TO THE BEST EDITIONS AND TRANSLATIONS. PART I.-FROM HOMER TO LONGINUS. BY CHARLES DEXTER CLEVELAND, FORMERLY PROFESSOR OF THE LATIN AND GREEK LANGUAGES IN DICKINSON C PHILADELPHIA: E. C. & J. BIDDLE & CO., No. 508 MINOR STREET. KF 230.9 G to 2 to HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY 1862, Segit. 26. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1861, by CHARLES DEXTER CLEVELAND, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. PHILADELPHIA: COLLINS, PRINTER. PREFACE. THIS book completes the course upon Ancient and Modern Literature, which I originally designed; and as it has been prepared upon a plan similar to that of my works on English and American Literature, little need be said by way of preface. I may remark, however, that this is even more the offspring of necessity than either of my other works; for though a general knowledge of English literature could have been gleaned from a number of books that were in use before my first work appeared, yet I know of none, now accessible as school books, which would give the youthful student any adequate idea of the Greek and Roman writers. It is, therefore, in my view, a work very much needed; for as far as my observation goes, the scholars who leave our English High, and Normal Schools, and our best private Seminaries, come out not only very ignorant of the character, works, and style of the classic authors, but often even of their very names. The classical scholar will, of course, see at a glance that I have not attempted to give ALL the Greek and Roman writers, but those only who are by common consent considered THE BEST. Still, in what I have here attempted, many errors and omissions will doubtless be detected by those whose lives are devoted to this subject; and if any one will point them out, and will write to me, expressing freely in what way he may think the next edition (which will be stereotyped) may be improved, I shall feel under very great obligations to him for such kindness. It is now more than a quarter of a century since the Greek and Latin classics were the chief subjects of my studies, and though, in the mean time, I have kept up my acquaintance with them as much as my other avocations would allow, yet I well know how great an advance classical literature has made during that period, and therefore I feel conscious that in many points I may be in the rear. I will only add that I can desire no greater favor to be shown to this my latest, than has been so signally bestowed upon my previous works. PHILADELPHIA, March 29, 1861. CHARLES DEXTER CLEVELAND. |