470 Additional Notes. 



State of Classic Literature in America, p. 37. 



The statement respecting the low state of classic literature 

 in the greater number of our American colleges, though true 

 in general, is not to be admitted without exception. There 

 are instructors in several colleges in the United States, under 

 whose tuition a youth, who is disposed to do justice to him- 

 self, may obtain as accurate and good an introduction to Greek 

 and Latin literature as can be obtained in any European uni- 

 versity, without exception. But as nothing more than the 

 foundation of knowledge can be laid at seminaries of learn- 

 ing, at least in the usual course; and as this foundation in 

 classic literature is too seldom built upon, in after life, by the 

 youth in America, we have fewer proficients in this depart- 

 ment of learning than our just proportion. 



The author has been lately informed, and mentions with 

 great pleasure, that in some parts of the United States there 

 are promising appearances of a revival of classic literature. 



Greek and Latin Criticism, p. 46. 



Though it is certain that the great proficients in classic 

 literature were much fewer at the close of the eighteenth 

 century than at its commencement, yet, in some respects, 

 these few possessed advantages which none of their predeces- 

 sors enjoyed. The advantages enjoyed by them in the fol- 

 lowing particulars are obvious. A spirit of philosophy has 

 been introduced, during this period, into historical investiga- 

 tions, which, united with the advantages of unwearied re- 

 search, has greatly extended our knowledge of ancient man- 

 ners, and afforded new illustration to ancient writings. The 

 niceties of conjectural criticism have been carried, since the 

 time of Bentley, to a greater length than was ever before 

 known. The proper excellences of style have become lately 

 much better understood than they were at earlier periods of 

 the critical art ; and the reign of just taste among classical 

 commentators more generally established. Many grammatical 

 rules of the ancient languages, and especially of the Greek 

 language, have been ascertained and laid down, with a degree 

 of precision to which former critics were entire strangers. 

 The metres of the ancient poets have been much better under- 

 stood and illustrated by the commentators of the last century 



