Soth 4-14-26 13058 CONTENTS THE IMPERATIVE MOOD: THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD NOUN CLAUSES: THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN DIFFERENT SENSES OF THE THE INFINITIVE MOOD AND ITS EQUIVALENTS. PLETE THE MEANING OF CERTAIN VERBS 43 46 48 54 59 THE INFINITIVE OR ITS EQUIVALENTS USED AS THE OB- 60 CYPRIAN: JEsus Christus PATIENTIAE EXEMPLAR QUID EST VOLUNTAS DEI? . QUARE JUSTUS CUM CHRISTO ESSE DESIDERAT. QUOD FILII DEI PATRI SIMILES ESSE DEBENT AMBROSE: DE JUDICIO DOMINI IN ARIANOS SOMNIUM HIERONYMI DE VITA CLERICORUM AUGUSTINE: DE MISERIIS AUGUSTINI IN PUERITIA BEDE: DE ADVENTU AUGUSTINI AD PRAEDICANDUM 114 117 119 119 120 121 123 126 127 132 134 136 DE FRUCTIBUS INCARNATIONIS THOMAS A KEMPIS: QUALITER HOMO DESOLATUS SE DEBET 144 149 PREFACE HIS book is written to meet the needs of a special class of Tstudents, namely of those that desire to study Ecclesiastical Latin. Ecclesiastical Latin may be defined as the form which the Latin language assumed in the hands of the Fathers of the Western Church and of their successors up to the time of the revival of learning. The book is divided into two parts: first, a summary of such syntactical rules as are necessary for the understanding of the works of these writers, with an explanation of the points in which Ecclesiastical Latin differs from Classical Latin: secondly, a selection of passages taken from the works of some of the principal authors of the period with notes drawing the attention of the student to the appropriate sections of the syntax. The syntax has been treated on broad lines, and no attempt has been made to trace all the peculiarities of the countless writers of Ecclesiastical Latin who represent so many different countries and degrees of culture. The examples are taken as far as possible from the Vulgate New Testament, because this is the most readily accessible book belonging to the period. It must not be assumed from the fact that the examples are taken from this source that the Vulgate is to be regarded as typical of Ecclesiastical Latin. It is a translation, and often a very literal translation, of a Hebrew or Greek original. The Vulgate is not a Latin Classic in the sense that the Authorised Version of the Bible is an English Classic. It will however be found that most of the constructions that commonly occur in Ecclesiastical Latin are to be found in the Vulgate, and, generally speaking, examples have been given of these constructions only. A very slight attempt has been made to deal with the great variety of curious distortions of Latin which the translators made use of in the attempt to represent literally obscure passages in the Hebrew. Those who intend to use this book should possess at the least a knowledge of the conjugations of Latin verbs and the declensions of Latin nouns such as may be got from any primer1. They should begin with the Vulgate New Testament which can be procured in the revised text of Wordsworth and White from the Bible Society. A brief dictionary of the Vulgate New Testament by Dr Harden has recently been published by the S.P.C.K. From this they may pass on to the study of the easier Fathers, such as Cyprian, or to the Latin Hymns. Unfortunately there are not many editions of the Latin Fathers readily accessible to English readers. The only collection of cheap texts is found in the series "Opuscula SS. Patrum," edited by H. Hurter at Innsbruck. The S.P.C.K. "Texts for Students" series contain some Latin texts. The author intends shortly to publish a collection of Latin Hymns. At present the only one available is the "Hymni Latini,” published by Clowes. It is hoped that the book may be of use to ordination candidates; but there is also another class of student that the author had in mind when writing it, namely those who either begin the study of Latin after they leave school, or who wish to continue their study for the purpose of improving their education. It is to be feared that not many persons carry away enough Latin with them from school to enable them to read the Classical authors with any readiness; to such persons who wish to improve their knowledge of the language by private study the author offers the following suggestions. John Locke stated that in his opinion the best way for an adult to learn Latin was by reading the Latin Bible, and so great a linguistic genius as Lord Macaulay did not disdain to learn German from a German Bible. The author feels confident from experience that those who begin with the Latin Bible and the easier Ecclesiastical authors will be able to go on to the study of the Classics, if they desire to do so, with far more intelligence and profit than if they had tried to approach them without some previous preparation. He believes that, in the general absence of any opportunity of hearing spoken Latin and speaking the language oneself, 1 For beginners the author recommends Latin for Beginners, by Benjamin L. Dooge. Ginn and Co. Gradatim, by Heatley and Kingdon, is also useful. |