Readings in English prose (original and translated from the German), designed to serve also as Key to the author's 'Exercises, etc.'

Front matter

READINGS IN ENGLISH PROSE, (ORIGINAL AND TRANSLATED PROM THE GERMAN,) designed to serve also as Key to the author '$ „Exercises for trans lating from the German into English," and as a Text-book for Englishmen to translate from the English into German. BY J. B. HOEGEL. PRAGUE. FREDERICK TEMPSKY, PUBLISHER. MDCCCLIX. Druck bei Kath. Gerzabek. Preface. The contents of the following pages are intended tp answer the double purpose of serving either as a Key, or a Text-book to the companion of this volume. In addition to this it will be found that these Readings will prove of considerable efficacy as means for perfecting and extending the range of the pupil's grammatical knowledge of the English language, provided the numerous questions the first section suggests be carefully attended to, and the pupil assisted in the form of judicious explanations.

The English language presents the foreigner with greater difficulties than any other language of Europe. This peculiarity may be accounted for by its structure, the circumstances which led to its formation and development, its copiousness and variety of expressions, the use of its auxiliaries, prepositions, participles etc. In order to render the student conversant with the latter, practical illustrations of every apparent difficulty are so amply given, that no pupil of ordinary capacity can fail to acquire a complete knowledge of the subject, and to be prepared for the higher stages of translating and composing. In carrying out this object all anticipation and precipitancy is avoided here, for the first part of these Exercises has been so framed as to become either the basis of the next, or an appropriate introduction to it.

The latter part of this book, containing historical characters, essays and descriptions, supplies some valuable specimens, of English prose composition, selected from the works of those writers who have chiefly determined the style of English prose literature, and such as are not only in themselves instructive, but also calculated to render the pupil sufficiently familiar with the various peculiarities of style. Feeling confident that both these volumes may be profitably employed in several ways, and leaving their application to the judicious discernment of teachers, the author throws himself on the indulgence and good feeling of those for whom it is intended. Vienna, September, 1858.