Quoniam notarum laterculos, quos habemus Romanae aetatis, ad grammaticorum corpus adiunxerunt tam Gothofredus quam Putschius neque inconsulto neque incommode (nam pendere eos ex grammaticorum commentationibus M. Valerii Probi eius generis tractatus demonstrat et quaerunt sibi omnino flagitantque quodammodo libelli illi certam et stabilem sedem et quasi aliquod in litteris domicilium), noluit ab hac sua grammaticorum Latinorum editione illos abesse Henricus Keilius. Qui cum sciret me post curatam a. 1853 in actorum societatis Saxonicae volumine quinto commentarioli Probi editionem per aliquot annos subsidiis, quae ad eas tabulas castigandas servant bibliothecae, colligendis operam dedisse, tam pro rei litterariae commodo quam pro veteris amicitiae iure a me postulavit, ut magni operis particulam hanc in me susciperem. Quod feci libenter; nam etsi fieri potest, ut a me usurpatis meliores notarum codices adhuc lateant, cum praesertim huius generis libelli brevissimi fere et plerumque auctoris nomine carentes in bibliothecis casu potius inveniantur quam data opera investigentur, tamen quae reperi subsidia iam mihi sufficere visa sunt ad horum libellorum crisin, quae adhuc nulla fuit, non absolvendam, sed inchoandam et certo fundamento stabiliendam.

Plerique artis grammaticae latores in principio prooemiis usi sunt, quod galeatum principium dicitur. hic vero huius artis peritus ab ipsis partibus orationis docendi sumpsit exordium, ne rudis adhuc studentium sensus tamquam inmensae silvae perplexitatem ingrediens versutias callidi sermonis perhorresceret. hic enim Donatus V. C. D. Vergilianum carmen vel Terenti comoedias mirifice commentavit. Scaurus vero hinc coepit, ‘ars est cuiusque rei scientia usu vel traditione suscepta’, quia artem doctrina vel usu cotidiano percipimus. cum enim docemus, discimus. frequenti enim meditatione ilia quae didicimus observamus, sicuti Socrates philosophus dicit, ‘quae nosti conserva meditationibus, quae autem non didicisti adsume disciplinis’. ars autem dicta est eo, quod artius ad peritiam urgeat pertendentes. ars grammatica praecipue consistit in intellectu poetarum et in recte scribendi loquendive ratione. grammatica ὰπὸ

1. L codex S. Pauli in valle Lavantina 24, cuiuts integra scriptura exhibita est.

2. l eiusdem codicis manus secunda.

3. F codex Frisingensis 81, qui minorem artem de octo partibus orationis et pauca ex reliqua libri parte excerpta exhibet. ex hoc ea quae maxime memorabilia videbantur adscripta sunt.

4. S codex Berolinensis Santenii 66. 4, qui minorem tantum artem a Lindemanno ex hoc codice a. 1820 editam continet. huius discrepantia, quae maxime memorabilis videbatur, ex edito exemplo adscripta est.

5. p excerpta codicis Parisini Sangermanensis 1180 in initio libri primi adhibita.

τῶν γϱαμμὰτων dicta est. unde et Latini a litteris appellaverunt litteraturam, item grammaticum litteratorem.

The following pages will be found to differ very considerably from the Eton Grammar and those formed more or less on its model—for instance, King Edward VIth's and Dr Kennedy's. On this account the Syntax at least may perhaps require one or two careful readings, before the mode in which it deals with grammatical difficulties be fully apprehended. My object has been in the Accidence to state, as accurately as I could within the limits of a book for learners, the inflexional forms in use among the Romans of the best period; and in the Syntax to explain briefly and precisely the use of them. The examples are chiefly from Cæsar, Cicero, or Livy, or such as they might have written; and have been so chosen and so translated as to give frequent subsidiary hints on Latin construction or English translation. Peculiarities, especially those of earlier or later writers and of the poets generally, have been usually left to be explained by the teacher on their occurrence. If the principles given be correct, such peculiarities will not cause much difficulty.

The leading principles and arrangement of the book, especially the Syntax, are chiefly my own, at least so far as direct help goes; but for details throughout I have made the amplest use of Madvig's Grammar. The facts of the Accidence have been almost entirely either derived from it, or corrected by its aid.