PYE’S DICTIONARY OF 
acquainted with the works of antient and 
modern literature, his syle is. correct 
and classical, and he writes with temper 
and moderation, and without any ap- 
pearance of that contempt, usual to 
system-makers, for those who hive not 
seen facts in the light in which they are 
viewed by themselves. It appears to 
have been a great object of Mr. Faber’s 
work, to contribute something to the 
evidences of the Mosaic history, and 
thus to the cause of religion; that he 
has been in any degree successful, it is 
ANCIEN'T GEOGRAPHY. 445 
not in our power to say; had his learn. 
ing and labour received a different 
direction, it would have given us much 
satisfaction to have been able to join his 
name to those of Marsh and Paley; as 
the case at present is, we must express 
a hope that he will not represent his 
system as of essential moment to the 
establishment of the truth of revelation, 
as we are afraid that with superficial ob- 
servers, such a declaration would rather 
tend to make unbelievers, than to pro- 
duce converts, 
SCHOOL BOOKS. 
Art. VII. L£legantie Latine; or Rules and Exercises, illustrative of clegant Latin Styley 
intended for the Use of the higher Classes of Grammar Schools. 
_ FROM our knowledge of Dr. Valpy’s 
rmer works of elementary instruction, 
we have long been induced to regard 
him as a very able and diligent teacher 
of classical learning. The present work 
forms a very suitable companion to his 
_/ former publications, and is of a descrip- 
‘ 
\ 
* 
= 
baa 
‘ 
* 
tion which was much wanted in our 
schools. We have looked it over with 
attention, and can without hesitation re- 
commend it as containing many judici- 
ous observations, respecting an impor. 
tant, but, except in our great schools, 
too generally neglected branch of classi- 
caleducation. Dr. Valpy thus explains 
_ the nature of his object. 
“aa 
«‘ During twenty years in which I have 
been engaged in the arduous but important 
task of teaching the classics, it has never 
failed to excite my wonder and sorrow, that 
in the many attempts, which have been 
miade to smooth the difficulties, with which 
‘the road to classical excellence is attended, 
no method tending to facilitate Latin com- 
position has been successively pursued from 
the first introduction of youth into the ele- 
8vo. pp. 220. 
mentary exercises, to his arrival into the 
flowery fields of correct elegance and dig- 
nity of style. The greatest care is usually 
taken in conducting him to a certain point:. 
when he understands the plain application of 
his rules of syntax, he is then thrown upon 
the wide world of elegant latinity, in. which 
the range he is to take, though stript of the 
thorns of grammatical analysis, is still ver 
precarious ; his progress is still ascensu dif 
cilis. For unless the master is at liberty to 
point out very minutely the particular words, 
or arrangement of werds which constitute 
elegance, he must greatly depend upon his 
own judgment and observation for the know- 
ledge of them. ‘And there is as great a dif- 
ference between the mere grammatical struc- 
ture of a sentence, and the elegant usage and 
collocation of words, as between the rude 
sketch of an imperfect outline, and the fine 
colouring of a finished painting.” 
We are ourselves so strongly convinc- 
ed of the importance of composition, for 
the purpose of acquiring a familiar per- 
ception of the elegancies of any lan guages 
that we give this little book our hearty 
recommendation. 
Art. VIII. 4 new Dictionary of Antient Geography. ByCuartes Pre. 8vo. 
THIS is a work which contains some 
internal evidence of having been com- 
piled in the manner which the author 
describes. Whenever in the course of 
his reading he met with any geographi- 
cal illustration, he had recourse, he in- 
forms us, to his common-place book, 
- from whicii the information was after- 
wards copied in alphabetical order, but 
without any view to publication. In 
rocess of time, however, the manuscript 
became voluminous, and he then began 
0 incorporate it with other alphabetical 
works on the same subject. All the 
a 
utility, to which by its nature it can as- 
pire, is that of a book of reference in the 
perusal of ancient history, for the use 
of such readers as do not make geogra- 
phy a direct and professed study ; and 
this purpose we presume, from the de- 
gree of examination which we have be- 
stowed upon it, that it is in general 
sufficiently correct to answer. ‘lhe ar- 
ticles are very numerous, and many of 
them, though the book bears the title of 
a dictionary of ancient history, relate to, 
subjects entirely modern, 
