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adapted to the younger class of pupils, who are with difficulty made to understand the notes in the original, when hurried, as they frequently are, into this author.

BENJAMIN A. GOULD,
Principal of the public Grammar School

I cheerfully concur in approving the plan of Mr. Cooper's proposed edition of the Works of Virgil.

APRIL, 1827.

FRANCIS FELLOWS,

Associate Principal of the Mount Pleasant Classical Institution, (near Amherst,) Mass.

We, the subscribers, do approve of the plan adopted by the Rev. J. G. Cooper for a new edition of the Works of Virgil: and, when published, we do hereby recommend his work to those classical students, who may attend our respective Seminaries.

Rev. WM. RAFFERTY, D. D.

Principal of St. John's College, Maryland. EDWARD SPARKS, M. D. Professor of Languages in St. John's College, Md. Rev. SAM'L. K. JENNINGS, M. D. Principal of the Asbury College, Baltimore. MICHAEL POWER, A. M. Professor of Languages, Asbury College Baltimore. Rev. TIMOTHY CLOWES, L. L. D. Principal of Washington College, Maryland.

Rev. HENRY L. DAVIS, D. D.

Principal of Wilmington College, Delaware. Rev. FREDERIC BEASELY, D. D.

Provost of the University of Pennsylvania.

J. G. THOMSON, A. M.

Professor of Languages of the University of Penn. B. CONSTANT,

Principal of the Literary, Scientific and Military Lyceum, Germantown, Penn.

JOHN BORLAND,

Professor of Classical Literature in the Collegiate School, New-York.
Rev. E. D. BARRY, D. D.

Principal of a Classical Academy, New-York.

A. PARTRIDGE,

Superintendant of the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy, Middletown, Conn.

E. B. WILLISTON,

Professor of the Greek and Latin languages in the A. L. S. and Military Academy, Middletown, Conn.
Rev. JOSEPH SPENCER,

Professor of Languages in Dickinson College, Pennsylvania.
Rev. JAMES WILTBANK,

Principal of the Grammar School of the University of Pennsylvania
Rev. SAMUEL B. WYLIE, D. Ď.

Principal of a Classical Academy, Philadelphia.
GEORGE HALENBAKE,

Principal of a Classical and Mathematical Academy, Philadelphia.
JOHN ANDERSON,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Philadelphia.

C. FELLT,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Philadelphia. W. J. BIRKEY,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Philadelphia. HENRY HOOD,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Philadelphia. B. J. SCHIPPER,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Philadelphia

We, the subscribers, do approve of the plan adopted by the Rev. J. G. Cooper for a new edition of the Works of Virgil; and, when published, we do hereby recommend his work to those classical students, who may attend our respective Seminaries

Rev. WM. BALLANTINE,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Philadelphia. WM. MANN, A. M.

Principal of a Classical Academy, Philadelphia. J. P. ESPY,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Philadelphia. DAVID PATTERSON,

Principal of a Classical Academy, New-York. WM. SHERWOOD,

Principal of a Classical Academy, New-York W. H. BOGART, A. B.

Principal of a Classical Academy, New-York. JOSEPH PERRY, A. M.

Principal of a Classical Academy, New-York. GOULD BROWN,

Principal of a Classical Academy, New-York JACOB T. BERGEN,

Principal of a Classical Academy, New-York.

JAMES ANDERSON,

Classical Teacher in the La Fayette Seminary, N. York.
J. SLOCOMB,

Principal of a Classical Academy, New-York.

SAMUEL U. BERRIAN,

W. LORD,

Classical Teacher, New-York.

Associate Principal of a Classical Academy, Baltimore.
A. ROGERS,

Principal of a Select Classical Academy, Baltimore.
JAMES STEEN,

Principal of the Wentworth Academy, Baltimore.

JOHN PRENTISS,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Baltimore.

Rev. J. G. ROBERTSON,

Principal of a select Classical Academy, Raltimore. JAMES GOULD,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Baltimore. ELIJAH GARFIELD,

Teacher of Languages, Middletown, Conn.

ELIJAH P. BARROWS, Jr.

Preceptor of the Hartford Grammar School, Conr

JOHN M. KEAGY, M. D.

Principal of the Harrisburg Academy, Penn. BARNABAS BATES,

Principal of a Classical Academy, New-York.

THOMAS P. HAGGERTY,

Principal of a Classical Academy, Georgetown, D C.

To Professors and Teachers of Classical Literature in the Colleges, Academies, and other Seminaries in the United States:

GENTLEMEN,

The very favorable opinion that many of you have expressed, of the plan and execution of this Edition of the works of Virgil, claims my respectful acknowledgments.

Every attempt to facilitate the acquisition of classical literature will, I am persuaded, meet your approbation; I shall, therefore, offer no apology for adding this new edition to the many others, already before the public.

Soon after I commenced the instruction of youth, I became sensible of the impropriety of the use of the editions of Virgil, then in our schools. Those of Ruæus and Davidson were generally, if not exclusively, read; both equally objectionable, the former by affording too little aid to the student in the illustration of the text, the latter by affording him too much. It was at this early period that I formed the plan of the present edition. Except the two last books of the Eneid, it was finished in the year 1815, as you will perceive by the date of several of the recommendations. Since which time, they have been completed, and the whole carefully revised and greatly improved. This delay in the publication gave me a further opportunity to become acquainted with the wants of students, especially in the early course of study, and to collect the opinions of teachers upon this subject. That opinion has uniformly been in favor of my plan; which takes a middle course between the opposite extremes of affording too little, and too much assistance to the student.

The partial ordo is designed to assist him in the more intricate parts of the text; and where recourse otherwise must be had to the teacher. The notes and explanations are copious. They embrace whatever was deemed necessary to elucidate the poet, and to lead the youthful mind to relish his beauties. Some of the more difficult passages I have translated; and, in general, where a word is used out of its common acceptation, I have given its sense and meaning in that particular place: and where commentators are not agreed upon the meaning of a word or phrase, I have given their respective opinions. In the text, I have adopted the reading of Heyne, except in a few instances, where the com mon reading appeared preferable.

To the Bucolics, Georgics, and Æneid, I have given, in the first instance, a general introduction; and to each Eclogue, and book of the Georgics and Eneid, a summary or particular introduction: so that the student, knowing beforehand the subject, and anticipating the beauties and excellences of the poet, will proceed with ease and pleasure, and in a manner catch his spirit. To each I have added a number of questions, to be asked by the teacher, and

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answered by the pupil. They may be increased or modified at discretion This method of instruction, by question and answer, will be found useful. It serves to excite inquiry and attention on the part of the student, and affords the teacher a ready method of discovering the degree of knowledge which he has obtained of the subject. In this particular, I acknowledge my obligation to several eminent teachers, who suggested the improvement.

The commentators, to whom I am principally indebted, are Heyne, Ruæus, Dr. Trapp, Davidson, and Valpy. But it will be seen, in the course of the work, that I have not been confined to these alone. Wherever I found any thing useful, tending either to elucidate the poet, or to interest the student, I have taken it.

Throughout the whole, it has been a principal object with me, to render the poet intelligible, and to elucidate those passages which are obscure and intricate. To the whole is added, a table of reference to the notes, where any particular article is considered or passage explained.

To you, gentlemen, I present it, with the humble trust that it will be found to answer the purposes for which it was designed, namely, to lighten the labor of the teacher, and to facilitate the acquisition of a knowledge of the poet.

NEW-YORK, Oct. 1827.

J. G. COOPER

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