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Hextz, Nicholas Marceller

CLASSICAL FRENCH READER;

SELECTED FROM

THE BEST WRITERS OF THAT LANGUAGE

IN

PROSE AND POETRY;

PRECEDED BY AN INTRODUCTION, DESIGNED TO FACILITATE
THE STUDY OF THE RUDIMENTS OF THE FRENCH.

AND ATTENDED WITH NOTES,

EXPLANATORY OF IDIOMS, ETC. THROUGHOUT THE WORK.

Aimer à lire, c'est faire un échange des heures d'ennui que l'on doit
avoir en sa vie oontre des heures délicieuses.-Montesquieu.

COMPILED FOR THE USE OF THE ROUND HILL SCHOOL,
BY N. M. HENTZ, A. M.

Professor of Modern Languages in the University of North Carolina.

IN TWO PARTS.
PART FIRST,

CONTAINING PIECES IN PROSE.

BOSTON:

RICHARDSON, LORD, AND HOLBROOK,
133, Washington Street.

DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, to wit:
DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE:

BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the first day of December, A. D. 1826, in the fiftieth year of the Independence of the United States of America, RICHARDSON & LORD, of the said District, have deposited in this office the title of a Book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words following, to wit:

"A classical French Reader, selected from the best writers of that language, in Prose and Poetry: preceded by an introduction designed to facilitate the study of the Rudiments of the French, and attended with notes explanatory of Idioms, etc. throughout the work. Aimer à lire c'est faire un échange des heures d'ennui que l'on doit avoir en sa vie contre des heures délicieuses.-Montesquieu. Compiled for the use of the Round hill school. By N. M. HENTZ. Part first, containing pieces in prose.

In conformity to the Act of Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies, during the times therein mentioned: " and also to an Act entitled "An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled, An Act for the Encouragen:ent of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies during the times therein mentioned; and extending the Benefits thereof to the Arts of Designing, Engraving and Etching Historical and other Prints."

JOHN W. DAVIS, Clerk of the District of Massachusetts.

2. Wer Parker 4-7-42

PREFACE.

IT has been, heretofore, a great disadvantage in teaching French in this country, that a good selection from the best authors of that language, could not easily be obtained. There are several works, published in France, which were selected by men of talents and judgment; but those collections are either too voluminous, and consequently too expensive, or seldom imported into this country. Moreover, the want of notes explanatory of idioms renders those books less adapted to beginners, and by beginners only such works are commonly used. A French Reader was compiled by Murray, the celebrated author of the English Reader, but the selection is not so judicious as that which he made from authors in his own language; and the book, also without notes, is on the whole an inferior production. The compiler therefore has been induced to publish this selection, endeavouring to avoid the defects which he has noticed in others, and availing himself of the experience acquired by teaching the language, for a period of several years, to persons of all ages and capacities.

It is the general opinion that in a selection of this kind, the easiest pieces should be placed first, and that the others should gradually offer a greater number of idioms, till the most difficult phrases should be all made known; but to one who has attempted to select from classical authors, and who would not presume to curtail any part of their productions, such an undertaking must appear impossible; for the clearest writers, as they wrote for those who understood their language would in no instance refrain from employing an idiom, which, though unintelligible to a foreigner, might more forcibly express their idea. The only method, therefore, to be pursued in the compilation of such a work, is to arrange the pieces under such heads as may, from their nature, be likely to offer the fewest difficulties. Thus, descriptions must naturally be written in a clearer language than narrations, and the latter must generally be more so than dialogues. And to avoid the objection just made, notes should be added whenever the idea of the author may be misunderstood; but we think notes rather an impediment than an assistance whenever a

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