The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-09-15
FoR TIE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
Chase and Stuart's Classical Series.

By George Stuart, A. NJ, Professor of
the Latin Language in the Central High
School of Philadelphia. PIP. 337, small
limo. Eldredge 4 Brother, Publishers.
1869.
II. NJ. I. CICERONI' ORATIONEs SELECTAE,
soith Explanatory Notes. PIP. 334, small
limo By the same Editor and Publish
ers. 1869.
III. ENEID OF VIRGIL, Nth Explanatory
Notes. By Thomas Chase, A. NJ, Pro-
lessor in Haverford College. PIP. AS,
small 12mo. By the same Publishers.
1869.
A new house, here presents the public
with old books, by new Editors, all in style
that makes an excellent first impression. "
We gray-bearded, bald-headed, and specta-
cled lovers of the old classics, over whose
dingy pages and blurred type of editions
prepared &" adj usom sereRissinai DelphlRi,
your young eyes were tired, and your young
hair pulled, look at these pages of clear
white paper, and clear type, and rejoice that
your grand children may escape some OF the
torrents to which your youth was subjected.
If, in spite of badly printed, and worse edit
ed editions,-in spite of " Grabbed masters, y
and frequent "canings," the thoughts and
beauties of these old writer's won your love,
and kept it, what love of {" the classics "
may you not hope for in the generations
who are furnished with inviting copies, and
taught on much more rational, if not more
rigid principles? Give the boys "half-
holiday" and throw up your hats with
them for these and other like modern edi-
tons of immortal Latin and divine Greek
authors.
While pedagogues will praise or censure,
sheer at, or rejoice over, quarrel with, or
gladly adopt, these neat, these really ele-
CANT editions of these fundamental text
books, the boys, and the "classic" "yOuug
ladies will hail them with delight Bob
was "Aoundering about in Clarkes octa-
yo edition of Caesar, scOwling over it,
scratching his head, and wishing that Latin
had persisted in "the dark ages when a
sight of Stuarts' edition put him into good
humor the elegant text, and "judicious
notes, smoOthed his brow, and there is
good hope" that he will not become pre-
maturely bald or gray.
To those incorrigible cold fogies," who
detest all ''notes, and insist on the text, "
pure and simple, we say, " PrOe'tL procal
este" Those, however, who realize how
much time is demanded by the many new
studies introduced into our schools within
the last forty years, and that " the classics
can no. longer absorb all the time in pre-
paratory schools, will rightly appreciate
such Explanatory Notes as boys and
girls of ordinary intelligence can use in
preparing lesson, and save the master p"
the swear and tear of translating before
hand, every passage individually, and fire.
quently, several times over, for each men,
Der of the class. With such help as good
notes give industrious pupils, the teacher
has time for the "paulo mgOra."
These new, and hitherto unknown Edi-
tors and Publishers, have "achieved sue
cess in these extremely elegant and con-
venient editions. The size, the neat bind
ing, the smooth white paper and clear type,
attract and satisfy the eye of both pupil
and teacher Critics may dispute about the
'readings" adopted in cOntroverted pas
sages, but they must admit the generally So
lid judgment of the Editors in determining
the "text" That the Notes are a just
medium between "too much and "tOO
little" may be inferred when it is observed
that the text of the seven Books of Cesar
covers $50 pages, and the Notes only 10.
The text of the fourteen select 0rations of
Cicero occupies 211 pages, and the Notes
ia. The Eneid covers 30 pages of text,
and 137 pages of Notes, including Is pages
of {" Metrical Index" Index of Proper
Names, and "Remarks on Classical Yer
sifcation'
The Notes do not abound in translatioRs
of the easy or the hard passages, but are
largely Grammatical and critical, -
involving a constant reference to "princi-
pies and rules" Such translations as are
given, are generally idiomatie English, and
are calculated to fasten the attention of the
learner upon the difference between the
Latin and the English forms of expression
for the same general conception, and thus
guide him in thinking his English into
Latin. The Lexicon, added to the Cesar,
Sin compliance with a generally expressed
wish, as the Editor informs US, is of course
brief, filing only 6S pages. 1t is excellent
for 50 small thing, and convenient on
many accounts But it is the most ques-
tionable thing in the whole performance !;
for a pupil in Cesar wants more information
about words, or ought to want more, than
such Lexicon can give him.
THE TEACHERS MODEL POCKET REGIS
TER AND GRADE Book. By Eldredge i
Brother. Philadelphia. A small limo,
neatly bound in cloth, with beveled edges,
is what every marking " teacher wants.
With IS double pages, ruled for % names
to the page, and each day for five weeks,
exhibited by each opening of the book, the