ET

CONTES CHOISIS;

FAITS MÉMORABLES, ANECDOTES INSTRUCTIVES, ETC.

AVEC UN

DICTIONNAIRE

DE TOUS LES MOTS TRADUITS EN ANGLAIS.

A L'USAGE DE LA JEUNESSE, ET DE CEUX QUI COMMENCENT

A APPRENDRE LA LANGUE FRANÇAISE.

PAR M. DE FIVAS,

MEMBRE DE PLUSIEURS SOCIÉTÉS LITTÉRAIRES.

Une morale nue apporte de l'ennui :

Le conte fait passer le précepte avec lui. La Fontaine.

He that requires the attention and application of youth, should endeavour to
make what he proposes as grateful and agreeable as possible. - Locke.

SECONDE ÉDITION,

REVUE, CORRIGÉE, ET CONSIDÉRABLEMENT AUGMENTÉE.

LONDRES:

SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & CO.

OLIVER & BOYD; ET, STIRLING & KENNEY, ÉDIMBOURG.

MDCCCXXXVIII.

97-

OTHE

PREFACE

TO THE SECOND EDITION.

I published, some years ago, a small reading book for the use of beginners in the French language. Notwithstanding its many defects, the work was favourably received, and noticed by English as well as French journals; and it has gradually found its way as a class-book into several of the most eminent public and private seminaries. The first edition being out of print, I was unwilling to present a second to the public, until I had rendered it more worthy their approbation. As I was sensible of the defects of the first edition, I resolved to remodel it entirely, and endeavour to produce the most useful, most attractive, and best first French reading book.

It would be almost impossible, in a publication of this nature, not to find pieces contained in former selections. To be otherwise, it would require their authors to have been either very negligent, or very unfortunate in their choice and no one, I believe, would have approved the scruple that could have determined me to exclude those pieces solely because they figure in other collections. But while I admit that I lay no claim to originality, yet, as almost all the articles in this little volume have been revised and condensed, and many completely re-written, I shall look upon the work in its present state as entirely my own.