ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE NINTH AND LAST EDITION.

THERE cannot be a doubt but that a Book, like this, purposely, adapted to the use of young persons of both sexes, copious beyond› former examples, singularly various in its contents, selected from writers whose characters are established without controversy, abounding with entertainment and useful information,inculcating the purest principles of morality and religion, and displaying excellent models of style and language,must effectually contribute to the improvement. of the RISING GENERATION in knowledge, taste, and virtue. The Public have, indeed, already felt, and acknowledged by the least fallible proof, their general reception of it, its great utility. It has been adopted in all the most respectable places of education, and has, sown the seeds of excellence, which may one day arrive at maturity、's and add to the happiness both of the community and of human nature. What ENGLISH book similar to this volume, calculated entirely for the use of young students at schools, and under private tuition, was to be found in the days of our fathers? None certainly. The consequence was, that the ENGLISH PART of education (to many the ¿ most important part) was defective even in places most celebrated for classic discipline; and boys were often enabled to read Latin perfectly, and write it tolerably, who, from the disuse, or the want» of models for practice, were wretchedly qualified to do either in, their native language.—From this unhappy circumstance, classical education was brought into some degree of disgrace; and preposterous it certainly was, to study during many of the best years of life foreign and dead languages, with the most scrupulous accuracy,and\ at the same time entirely to neglect that mother tongue, which is in daily and hourly requisition; to be well read in TULLY, and a total stranger to ADDISON; to have HOMER and HORACE by heart, and to know little more than the names of MILTON and POPE.

Classical learning, thus defective in a point so obvious to detection, incurred the imputation of pedantry. It was observed to

assume

an important air of superiority, without displaying, to the common observer, any just pretensions to it. It even appeared with marks of inferiority, when brought into occasional collision with well-informed understandings, cultivated by English literature alone, but greatly proficient in the school of experience. Persons who had never imbibed the pure waters of the classic fountains, but had been confined in their education to English, triumphed in the common intercourse of society, over the academical scholar; and learning often hid her head in confusion, when pointed at, as pedantry, by the finger of a DUNCE.

It became highly expedient therefore to introduce more of English reading into our classical schools; that those who went out into. the world with their coffers richly stored with the golden medals of antiquity, might at the same time be furnished with a sufficiency of current coin from the modern mint, for the commerce of ordinary life: but there was no school book, copious and various enough, entirely calculated for this purpose. The Grecian and Roman Ilistory, the Spectators, and Plutarch's Lives, were indeed sometimes introduced, and certainly with great advantage. But still, an uniformity of English books, in schools, was a desideratum. It was desirable that all the students of the same class, provided with copies of the same book, containing the proper variety, might be enabled to read it together; and thus benefit each other by the emulous study of the same subject or composition, at the same time, and under the eye of their common master.

For this important purpose, the large collections, entitled, "ELEGANT EXTRACTS," both in Prose and Verse, were projected and completed by the present Editor. Their reception is the fullest testimony in favour both of the design and its execution.

The labour indeed of a Compiler of a book like this is humble; but his beneficial influence is extensive; and in this instance he feels a pride and pleasure in the reflection that he has been serving his country most effectually, without sacrificing either to avarice or to vanity. It is a disinterested effort. It gratifies neither the love of money nor of fame; for the Editor has no property in the work, and he is anonymous. His reward is the satisfaction of doing good without definable limits.

The renown attending public services, is seldom proportioned

to

to their utility. Glitter is not always the most brilliant on the surface of the most valuable substance. The loadstone is plain and unattractive in its appearance, while the false bauble, on the finger of the beau, sparkles with envied lustre.-The spade, the plough, the shuttle, have no ornament bestowed on them, while the toy and trinket are decorated with ribbands, gold, and ivory. Yet REASON, undazzled in her decisions, dares to pronounce, while she holds the scales, that the USEFUL, though little praised by the multitude, preponderates; and that the shewy and unsubstantial kicks the beam of the balance, while it attracts the eye of inconsiderate admiration.

Things intrinsically good and valuable have the advantage of securing permanent esteem, though they may lose the eclat of temporary applause. They carry with them to the closet their own recommendation. And as this volume confidently claims the character of good and valuable, and its claim is allowed by the public, it wants not the passport of praise. Every page speaks in its own favour in the modest language of merit, which has no occasion to boast, though it never can renounce its unassuming pretensions to just esteem. The most valuable woods, the cedar and the yew, used in the cabinet work of the artisan, require neither paint nor varnish, but appear most beautiful in their own veins and colours, variegated as they are by the hand of nature.

As it is likely that the student who reads this volume of Prose with pleasure, may also possess a taste for POETRY, it is right in this place to mention, that there is published by the same Proprictors, a volume of Poetry, similar to this in size and form; and as he may also wish to improve himself in the very useful art of Letterwriting, that there is also provided a most copious volume of classical Letters from the best authors, under the title of ELEGANT EPISTLES.

This whole Set of Extracts, more copious, more convenient in its form, and valuable in its materials, than any which have preceded it, certainly conduces, in a very high degree, to that great national object, the PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, to promote which has been the primary object of the Compiler,

TUNBRIDGE, March 29, 1808.

(iv)

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

THIS book derives its origin from a wish expressed by persons who have the conduct of schools, that such a compilation might be published, as by means of a full page, and a small, yet very legible type, might contain, in one volume, a little English library for young people who are in the course of their education. A common-sized volume, it was found, was soon perused, and laid aside for want of novelty; but to supply a large school with a great variety, and constant succession of English books, is too expensive and inconvenient to be generally practicable; such a quantity of matter is therefore collected in this volume as must of necessity fill up a good deal of time, and furnish a great number of new ideas before it can be read to satiety, or entirely exhausted. It may therefore very properly constitute, what it was intended to be, a Library for Learners, from the age of nine or ten to the age at which they leave their school; at the same time it is evident, upon inspection, that it abounds with such extracts as may be read by them at any age with plea sure and improvement. Though it is chiefly and primarily adapted to scholars at school; yet it is certain, that all readers may find it an agreeable Companion, and particularly proper to fill up short intervals of accidental leisure.

As to the Authors from whom the extracts are made, they are those whose characters want no recommendation. The Spectators, Guardians, and Tatlers, have been often gleaned for the purpose of selections; but to have omitted them, in a work like this, for that reason, would have been like rejecting the purest coin of the fullest weight, because it is not quite fresh from the mint, but has been long in circulation. It ought to be remembered, that though the writings of Addison and his coadjutors may no longer have the grace of novelty in the eyes of veteran readers, yet they will always be new to a rising generation.

The greater part of this book, however, consists of extracts from more modern books, and from some which have not yet been used for the purpose of selections. It is to be presumed that living authors will not be displeased that useful and elegant passages have been borrowed of them for this book; since if they sincerely meant, as they profess, to reform and improve the age, they must be convinced, that to place their most salutary admonitions and sentences in the hands of young persons, is to contribute most effectually to the accomplishment of their benevolent design. The books themselves at large do not in general fall into the hands of school-boys; they are often too voluminous, too large, and too expensive for general adoption; they are soon torn and disfigured by the rough treatment which they usually meet with in great schools; and, indeed, whatever be the cause of it, they seldom are, or can be conveniently introduced; and therefore EXTRACTS are highly expe dient, or rather absolutely necessary.

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