LONDON: PRINTED BY

SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE AND PARLIAMENT STREET

PREFACE.

IT has been most pleasing to the Author that his FIRST EASY LATIN READING BOOK should have been so favourably noticed by the Press and by those engaged in teaching young boys.

This Second Reading Book has been in all respects formed after the model of the First, the object of the book being to render the Latin authors less difficult to young pupils, and to make them acquainted with the different style of each before they have to launch out into the open sea with a larger dictionary or more critical notes for their only guide.

For this purpose, the notes are simple explanations of more difficult passages or grammatical construction.

The Author hopes he may be permitted once more to urge that his plan be followed, and that the vocabularies for each lesson be learned again and again before the lesson is done, and that during the doing of the lesson no single word be looked out in grammar or dictionary. If grammar or vocabularies be not known, let the construing be put away for the learning of them.

The Author is at present engaged in writing a series of Greek books upon a similar plan; but yet he hopes before long to prepare a Third Reading Book, which will contain selections from Virgil's Bucolics, Horace's Odes and Epistles, and Cicero's De Senectute.

It is not desired that in any single instance these Latin books should displace those now in general use. The Short and Easy Latin Book is supposed to be the first that should be placed in a boy's hands, before he uses the 'Public School Latin Primer' or any elementary exercise book. The First Easy Latin Reading Book is an introduction to the first construing of Latin, and the present work introduces the young pupil to Cæsar, Virgil and Ovid, by giving passages from each of those authors, with easy notes attached.

The Author cannot allow this book to go forth to the public without offering his best thanks to the Rev. G. W. Cox, The Knoll, Farnborough, Hants, and the Rev. G. W. OLIVER, 26 Addison Gardens North, Kensington, for the suggestions and corrections made by them as these pages passed through the press.

AMESBURY HOUSE, REIGATE:

Feb. 4, 1873.

In the year of the City 696, Cæsar obtained the command of the Gauls, i.e. Gallia Cisalpina and Gallia Transalpīna, for five years. The Roman Province beyond the Alps was bounded by the Rhodanus (Rhone), the mountains of Auvergne, and the Garumna (Garonne), and contained Languedoc, Dauphiné, Provence, Savoy. The remainder of Gaul was still independent of Roman authority, and divided between three great nations-the Belgæ, on the NE., the Celta, in the midland countries, the Aquitani, in the SW.: these were subdivided into many smaller communities. At the time that Cæsar took the command of his province, the Helvetii, a warlike tribe occupying the greater part of Switzerland, were desirous to migrate from their country into the more fertile regions of Gaul, and sent to ask leave of Cæsar to march through the Roman Province. He refused permission; and, breaking down the bridge of the Rhone, fortified the banks of the river from Geneva to the narrow pass between the Jura and Fort d'Écluse: they therefore turned northwards, and passed the Jura Mountains through the territory of the Sequăni, intending to proceed through the Edui, and to fix themselves to the north of the Garumna, in the district of the Santones. Cæsar followed them across the Arar (Saone), and, not far from Bibracte (Autun), a terrible battle was fought, in which the Helvetii lost 200,000 men, and were driven back to their own country. The nations inhabiting the banks of the Arar and Liger (Loire) thanked Cæsar for having saved them from this danger, and also begged his assistance against Ariovistus, a German chief, who oppressed the Sequăni and neighbouring nations, and was extending his conquests from the Rhine to the Saone; Cæsar therefore repassed the Arar, and marched up the Dubis to Vesontio. A conference with Ariovistus had no effect, and a battle ensued, in which the Germans were defeated, and fled across the Rhine, fifty miles from the field of battle.

*The edition used for these Lessons is that published at Eton, 1845.

Cæsar, about to narrate the wars which he carried on in Gaul, first gives a description of the country, and then relates two battles against the Helvetii and one against the Germans.

I.

Gallia est omnis divisa in tres partes, quarum unam incolunt Belgæ, aliam Aquitani, tertiam, qui ipsōrum linguâ Celtæ, nostrâ Galli appellantur. Hi omnes linguâ, institūtis, legibus inter se diffĕrunt. Gallos ab Aquitanis Garumna flumen, a Belgis Matrona et Sequăna dividit.

1. Gallia est omnis divisa in tres partes,

2. Quarum unam incolunt Belgæ,

3. Aliam Aquitani, tertiam,

4. Qui ipsōrum linguâ Celta, nostrâ Galli appellantur.
5. Hi omnes linguâ, institūtis, legibus inter se differunt.

6. Gallos ab Aquitanis Garumna flumen,

7. A Belgis Matrona et Sequăna dividit.

EXPLANATIONS.

1. Est and divisa go together and make a perf. pass. Be careful of the proper English.

case

2. It will make this passage easier if you begin with the acc. unam; remembering, however, that it is the acc. after incolunt. I will give the English of 2. 3. 4: 'One of which the Belga inhabit, another the Aquitani, the third those who, in their lanIt makes it awkward if guage, are called Celtæ, in ours Gauls.' taken literally: The Belge inhabit one of which, the Aquitani another; those who in their language are called Celtæ, in ours Gauls, (inhabit) the third.'

4. Celte and Galli, nom. cases after appellantur.

"

5. Inter se differunt, differ from each other.'

6. Take your nom. case Garumna flumen.

7. Here there are two nom. cases singular, Matrona et Sequăna, and the verb dividit remains singular. What might dividit have

been?

Note. These rivers-Garumna, Matrona, and Sequăna-are masculine, though of the first decl., as all rivers are masculine. (See

S. & E. L. B. p. 8.)