( ) 1' i- 111', c V N 1 , c; F, T I c y s . 53 



nied a French version of the two last books of the Cynegctics 

 of the Cilician poet, which are stated to abound in errors of 

 translation, and to be performed in a tedious and barbarous 

 style by Defermat, eminent as a mathematician, but of mode- 

 rate attainment in Greek literature. 



The present version was completed before I was aware of 

 any prior attempt to translate the Cynegeticus into English : 

 the first notice of which, in the partial labours of Mr. Blane, 

 was derived from Schneider's annotations. I do not believe 

 any other to exist in the English language, with the exception 

 of such fragments of the treatise as may have been occasionally 

 made to speak English, on the emergency of a periodical publi- 

 cation needing an article on Coursing ; or a literary sportsman 

 wishing to enliven his communications by a reference to the 

 manual, and quoting it in his vernacular tongue. 



Mr. Blane's attempt did not extend apparently to the whole 

 treatise. It is in parts inaccurately executed, and omits nu- 

 merous sentences, where he professes to translate ; and whole 

 chapters in sequence, where we can see no reason for omission. 

 The fourth, and ten following chapters to the fourteenth inclu- 

 sive, and the twenty-third and twelve following chapters to the 

 thirty-fifth inclusive, are entirely omitted by this capricious 

 translator. Since, then, in a work consisting of only thirty-five 

 chapters, he has, without assigning any cause, passed over 

 twenty-four unnoticed, nearly all of them important to practical 

 coursers, some evincing the kindly feelings of their author, (as 

 for instance, the one containing the affectionate history of his 

 beloved dog Horme,) and others most honourable to his huma- 

 nity, and confirmative of the purity of his religious faith, opera- 

 tive in a heathen breast, (as the two closing chapters, showing, 

 amidst much fabulous allusion, his unreseiTed acknowledsfment 

 of human dependence on divine aid, and the certainty of evil 

 and misfortune being consequent on irreligion and moral trans- 

 gression,) I hope a complete translation of this ancient courser's 

 enchiridion will not be considered an useless undertaking. 



