d Mythological
Index. By CHARLES ANTHON, LL. D. New-York: HARPER AND BROTHERS.

The cause of sound classical education in America is more deeply indebted
to Professor ANTHON than to any other scholar in the country; and the debt
of gratitude already incurred is almost daily increased by the unwearied
efforts of this distinguished linguist. Beside the voluminous and
unequalled Dictionaries which he has compiled and published, he has in
course of preparation a series of the most popular Latin authors, in which
his principal aim is to adapt them to the use of scholars in our academies
and higher schools. Another volume of this series, containing the AEneid,
has just been issued. It is usually among the earliest Latin works placed
in the pupil's hands, and yet there are few which require a more intimate
and extended acquaintance with Roman history, domestic habits, mythology,
geography, and indeed with every thing relating to the Romans as a nation
and society, in order to a perfect understanding of its character, and a
genuine relish of its beauties, than this. We doubt the policy, or
propriety indeed, of placing in the hands of those who are learning the
elements of a foreign _language_, poems of an elaborate and elevated
character for text-books. No one, for the purpose of learning English,
would take up MILTON'S Paradise Lost before the Vicar of Wakefield or
BUNYAN'S Pilgrim's Progress; for aside from the fact that he would not
thus be introduced to the simple dialect of ordinary life, its classical
and doctrinal allusions, its technical terms, and the profound knowledge
of men, of books, and of nature which it embraces, would render it almost
a sealed volume to any but those who have already become cultivated and
accomplished scholars. And although the case is materially different in
learning the ancient languages, since the object is not to speak or write
them, but to become familiar with the great works which are written in
them, it would be unwise if not useless to teach a pupil to read VIRGIL
without at the same time providing him with the means of thoroughly
understanding and appreciating his poetry. For these he is usually
dependent upon the verbal expositions of his teacher, who, even if he
chance to be well qualified for the task, seldom has sufficient time for
its proper discharge.

Many attempts have been made to supply this want, and some of them have
been attended with very fair, though not full, success.