PREFACE

This book was composed when the writer was a Professor of Latin, as part of a larger scheme. He has long been convinced that the mode of teaching Latin has become less and less effective in proportion as it has been made more and more scientific. The effort has been general to confine the pupil to the most elaborate styles and the most approved classics, and the exercise of memory has been superseded by minute accuracy in the study of very limited pieces. In the natural mode we have enormous endless repetition and much learning of the names of things. We begin with short sentences and a very limited number of verbs; and we learn with the least possible number of rules. If we could talk in Latin, that would be of all best; but as we cannot get exercise in talking it for practical needs, no teacher can hope to gain adequate readiness and facility: or if a few might, yet this could not be counted on in any general system. It has long been my conviction that we ought to seek to learn a language first, and study its characteristic literature afterward. Greek and Latin literature plunge us into numerous difficulties all at once, inasmuch as their politics, their history, their geography and their religion are all strange to the young student. To take difficulties one by one is obvious wisdom; and with a view to this I elaborately maintained in an article of the Museum (No. iv., Jan., 1862, Edinburgh) that we ought to teach by modern Latin. As parts of such a system I have executed and published a Latin “Hiawatha,” and Latin Verse Translations of many small pieces of English poetry. If I could write Latin conversations that would interest learners, I should gladly have undertaken this: but when I tried, I could not invent matter that seemed interesting enough. This indeed is my objection to Erasmus’s “Colloquies,” which also are not easy enough in idiom to satisfy me. This “Robinson Crusoe” I thought I could make very interesting, and it includes a far greater variety of vocabulary than can be obtained from any of our received classics of the same length. I hope also the style is easy.

I surely need not apologize for taking only the general idea from Defoe. His tale is far too diffuse, too full of moralizing and with too little variety. He was very ignorant of the Botany and Zoology of the tropics, and when his tale is faithfully abridged, its impossibilities become too glaring. The Arabic “Robinson Crusoe” published by the Church Missionary Society cuts down Defoe’s story unmercifully.

I am indebted to my former colleague, the late Professor T. Hewitt Key, for the translation of Robinson into the name Rebilius. He also approved of Ignipulta for a gun, not as strictly grammatical, but as good enough to pass with Latins who were familiar with the word Catapulta. From him also I adopted Cannones, for cannons, and Pistola a pistol. The word Canna, a cane (or hollow tube) seems to be the root of Cann̄on, a tube or cannon, in Spanish, whence the American can̄on for a tunnel, or larger tube.

After I had executed my own Rebilius (finally completed in 1861), I learned that a Frenchman, Goffaux, had published a “Robinson Crusoe” in Latin and French. On discovering this, I stopped the printing which I had begun, and after some delay succeeded in getting the book. But on perusing it I found his principles of remodelling the tale to be fundamentally the opposite of mine, concerning which I need not enlarge. I like his Latin, yet do not think his book supersedes mine. But if teachers can practically use his with advantage, I shall be well satisfied.

I wish here to renew my protest, that no accuracy of reading small portions of Latin will ever be so effective as extensive reading; and to make extensive reading possible to the many, the style ought to be very easy and the matter attractive. To enable us to talk, we ought to have a vocabulary that includes all familiar objects, – which the Classics of our schools cannot give us. Terence, though somewhat too difficult, would have great excellencies for the learner; but the substance of his plays is low, and eminently unedifying.

In the near future, some universal tongue will be sought for by the educated. If Latin be still learned in England, France, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Spain, this is still, as three centuries ago, the best for all Christendom. But perhaps even Latin will be beaten out of the schools.

It may be well to remark, that inasmuch as the grave accent has been very widely used in school books as indicative of an adverb, I adopt the mark in this sense; and think it no objection to say that the Latins never so used it. Neither had they our stops. We do not pretend to follow their writing in detail. We usefully distinguish the vowels u i from the consonants v j; they did not. What should we gain, by writing the Iliad as its author wrote it? So too, I think it well occasionally to add long or short marks, as ēgēre ĕgēre ēgĕre, vēnēre vĕnĕre, lătēre lătĕre lātere, to obviate ambiguity. Nay I write fluctûs for gen. sing., fluctūs for plural, but fluctus for nomin. sing. When et means both or even, I set an acute accent over it, not doubting that it then received some emphasis.

I also borrow from the marks used in Hebrew an under-parenthesis for coupling words that are in grammatical union. This mark is often very effective in explaining the structure of complicated Greek sentences.

CAPUT PRIMUM

1. Natus sum ego Eboraci, ex bonâ familiâ, sed peregrinâ: quippe pater meus Germanus fuit e Bremâ, ubi appellabatur Kreutznaer. Ceterùm per mercaturam dives factus, Eboraci consedit, unde recepit in connubium matrem meam. Ex hujus agnatis praenomen mihi Rebilius, ex patre nomen Kreutznaer inditum est. Sed vulgus hominum, facili corruptelâ, Crusonem me Rebilium appellabat. Tertius eram filius familiae. Frater maximus, tribunus militum, cum Hispanis praelio congressus, ad Dunquercam occubuit. Frater proximus, sicut ego quoque postea, incertum quomodo, evanuit. Me quidem pater, diligenter institutum, juris legumque studiis destinabat: sed, fatali quodam motu, nihil mihi arridebat, nisi ut mari oberrarem.

2. Primâ in juventâ clam patrem évasi nauta. Cursu mox felici cum magistro navis humanissimo ad Guineam Africae navigavi. Altero in cursu a Mauris piratis captus sum, et per quatuor fere annos duram servivi servitutem. Inde miraculo audaciae elapsus, in Lusitanâ quâdam navĕ ad Braziliam sum devectus, ubi colono cuidam tres ampliùs annos strenuam operam navavi, praefectus servorum agrestium. Mox per hunc amicosque hujus adductus sum, ut ad Guineam navigarem, homines nigritas conquisiturus, quos ipsi inter se per sua praedia servitutis causâ dividerent. Equidem magnam lucri partem eram derivaturus.

3. Sed longe aliter ordinavit Deus, ne impune caecae cupiditati obsequerer. Nempe ventis abrepta navĭs Oceanum transire nequibat, sed longe ad Caurum devehitur, circa Orinoconis ostia, ut credebamus. Altera mox superveniens procella magno impetu nos in Occidentem propulit, ubi, si e mari effugeremus, per feros homines foret pereundum.

4. Gravi impendente periculo, nocte intempestâ et saeviente adhuc vento, nauta qui erat in vigiliâ “terram adesse” exclamavit; atque, antea quàm ceteri experrecti superne congregamur, navĭs in arenis haeret. Stătim cum strepitu tremendo corruunt māli eorumque armamenta. Fluctūs magnâ vi foros proluebant, neque ipsae navĭs compages diu toleraturae videbantur. 5. Magister scapham demitti jubet. Demittitur: nec facilè id quidem. Res, quae maxime ad vitam sunt necessariae, raptim ingerunter; tum nos ipsi, tredecim viri, in eandem descendimus. Montosum littus inter sublustrem caliginem furvum apparebat: eò remigamus, si qua fortè in sinu terrae reducto tranquilliore mari utamur. Jam, violenter undante salo et circum nos se frangente, res non nauticae peritiae sed divinae opis videbatur: quare inter remigandum se quisque Deo Supremo, pius impiusve, commendabat, salute paene desperatâ. 6. Ventus, ad terram propellens, cursum scaphae accelerabat, terram faciebat formidolosiorem; metu autem maris, spe littoris, ipsi nosmet quasi in certissimum exitium detrudebamus. Tandem, vadosiore mari, fluctūs perniciosius circumfringi et dejectari scapha. Mox, ecce crista undae ingens, quae nos persequitur; et vix Dei effamur nomen, quum cuncti sumus absorpti.

7. Quae sequebantur, longa fortasse enarratu, factu erant brevissima. Profundiùs sensi me verbere fluctûs illius deprimi, sed, animâ fortiter compressâ, ad summas aquas emersi tandem. Altero in fluctu spumante implicatus atque violenter circumtortus, immensùm anhelans eluctor; tum conversus, humeros meos succedenti oppono cristae. Ea me magnâ vi cautem versus projecit, aquâ exstantem: hanc ego amplexus, adhaereo, dum decurrit unda; tunc, priusquam novus superveniat fluctus, per vada exsiliens scando, iterumque amplector cautem; simul, aestu paulisper obruor. Ictus ejus me aspere quassabat, sed extemplo aëra animamque recepi, et rursus per vada supergredior. Citra saxa undas longe minus ingentes sensi, inter quas poteram natare, aegrē profectò. Mox littore ipso projectus, uncis pedibus in sabulonem lapillosque inculcatis, pronus decĭdo, ut ne me fluctus retrahat. Uno pòst temporis momento in terrâ firmâ asto. Conversus, video praeter littus cautium seriem, inter albicantes aquas nigrarum; nihil aliud per tenebras in mari dispicio, neque scapham neque quemquam e sodalibus.

8. Tamen haud valde caliginosa erat nox. Ingentes aliquot nubes, et plurimae nubeculae, sibilante vento raptabantur: inter has clarissima lucebant sidera e nigerrimo caelo. Respiciens ad terram, collium duntaxat cerno lineamenta ac rupium. Tum vestimenta raptim detracta mănibus contorqueo, et, quoad possum, aquam marinam exprimo. Eadem rursus induor, (quid aliud facerem?) et rupem proximam per algas enisus ascendo; frustra: nam ne inde quidem in mari quidquam discerni potest.

9. Attamen arboris forma super colle exstat. Hanc sequor, et, ut potissimum in caligine, arborem illam scando et ramos amplexus interfususque me repono. Vestimentorum in loculis nihil habui, praeter cultellum, tabaci aliquantum et tubulum fumarium. Post brevem requiem assurgens, virgam grandiusculam amputo, quâ protegam me aliquatenus. Aquâ marinâ largiùs insorptâ, tamen neque sitis neque famis aderat mihi levamen. Sed, loco cibi, tabaci folium in os meum compono, implicatâque ramis virgâ, membra mea ita dispono, ut ne decĭdam, si somno capiar. Vespertiliones, et maximi illi quidem, stridoribus ac volatu, somnum aliquamdiu discutiunt.

10. Item quoad concitato opus erat corpore, mens mea tranquilla fuerat ac praesens: nunc, quando quiescit corpus, maxime se mens agitare coepit. Imprimis gratias Deo optimo maximo sincerissimas profudi, admirans praesertim, si ego solus ex tanto naufragio servor. Mox id ipsum crudelissime me pungit; etenim hîc solitarius, madidus, famelicus, paene nudus, pejùs enecor quàm in mari, nisi verò feri homines sive bestiae me devorabunt. Sane ego id temporis pius non eram, minime religiosus. Igitur tantâ in calamitate magnus me aestus animi conquassabat, inter grates querelasque, consilium ac desperationem. Tandem agitatione victus profundo somno conquievi, laboris ac moestitiae oblītus.

11. Mānĕ expergiscor, multum recreatus, sed algens; nec mirum. Ceterùm ibi maris temperies humanae cutis calorem aequat: etiam nox ipsa tepet: porro arboris illius densa folia fuerant mihi pro tegumento, ne calor in apertum aethera effugeret. Sciuri, psittaci, macaci sive cercopitheci circùm garriebant continenter. Evigilans incipio descendere: ecce autem canis noster ad radices arboris meae, quasi custodiens. Id me tenero quodam ita affecit gaudio, ut lacrimae oculis oborirentur. Ergo non sum prorsus solitarius; unum saltem retineo amicum! Hunc demulceo, plaudo armos, paene amplector. Mox festinanter deambulans, navem nostram ex adverso conspicor, longiuscule ultra eas cautes, ubi ipse projectus fui. Sine dubio aestus intumescens, ex arenis levatam, huc detrusit. Jam autem paene sopito vento, inanis tantùm supererat undarum jactatio. At ego in margine rupis incedens, despecto circa littus: mox, interjectis vix mille passibus, scapham nostram discerno in arenâ, subter caeruleâ quâdam rupe. Adire eam volui; sed quasi lingua quaedam maris interfusa impediebat; et quoniam fame urgebar, in navem potiùs, si possem, regrediendum censui.

12. Degressus rupe, redeo praeter littus: ibi pileum nauticum video, summo cum moerore. Jam aliquantum recesserat aestus, atque, ut aestimabam, vix trecenti aquarum passūs a nave me distinebant. Exutis pallâ braccisque, intrepide mare ingressus sum, inter grallatorias aves, quae plurimae aquâ exsurgebant; et facilè navem natando assequor. Puppis ejus valde elevata est, depressa prora; ex quâ catenae dependentes aquam tangebant. Has ego prehensas ascendo, et supervado loricam tabulatorum. O tristem ruinam, ubi māli, vela, funes strage conturbatissimâ complicantur. Sed ego ad cellam penuariam decurro, ibique arrepto pane nautico (qui bis coctus appellatur) vescor libenter. Mox, ex arcâ meâ ipsius extractas, vestes induor atque horologium meum resumo. (Profecto resurgente aestu vesperi, ille meus in littore vestitus natans asportatus est.) Simul ut aquam potulentam invenio, sinūs vestium pane complevi, ut quoties lĭbēret, vescerer: tum meditabar, quid facerem potissimum.

13. Illud me angebat, quòd manifeste, si in nave mansissemus, omnes fuissemus salvi. Super prorâ quidem saepius insultantes undae plurimas res corruperant; sed altera pars, puppim versus, alte sublata, sicca erat atque incolumis. Quippe, ut credo, quia in arenâ, non in cautibus haeserat, carinae soliditas perduravit. Quàm plurimas res jam cupiebam asportare; sed id erat difficile. Scapha major, ut dixi, in littore projecta erat longe. Illa quindecim viros facilè portabat, et in magnis Africae fluviis ad invehendos venales magno usui erat futura. Alteram comportaveramus longe minorem, cymbam potiùs quam scapham dixerim; quae duos homines cum remige posset ad scapham devehere, si quà juxta ripas aquae forent breviores. Haec in nave remansit: demittere eam in mare erat in facili; sed parum capiebat, nec videbatur nimio sub onere aestum littoris toleratura. Postquam arcas ac dolia multo cum suspiratu aliquamdiu aspexi, contemplor mālos, ac ratem componendam decerno.

14. Subito exsultans, ex fabri nostri repositorio serrâ dereptâ, malos disseco, ut trabes longitudine fere pares efficiam. Has in mare provolvo, funibus quibusdam mālorum supra inhibitas. Ligna grandiora cujuscunque generĭs colligo, ingero, omnia funiculis deligata. Postea ipse seminudus, cum malleo et confibularum sacculo circum collum suspenso, degressus equito super trabe. Undatio maris jam deminuta est: raptim ego ligna atque trabes, vēlis funibusque confusas, conjungo, destino, depango; vi meâ maximâ, quantumvis rudi, ratĭs fundamenta jaciens. Redeo supra; video quanta sint portanda onera, ratemque nondum sufficere. Tum alia ligna plurima et tabulas ex omni parte navĭs conquiro. Has dissecare ex suo loco, nimii laboris erat atque temporis. Sed septa animadverto lignea, quae ad dividenda nigritarum cubilia comparaveram. Utrumque binis hamis e tergo, binis spicatis clavis e fundo, erat instructum; annulis lateri navĭs infixis, per quos hami inseri debebant. Haec septa plurimam atque optimam mihi sufficiebant materiem. Quibus rebus superadditis, molem ratĭs et soliditatem multum adaugeo; tum funibus astringo cuncta. Longum id erat et sane difficile: necnon sol me admonebat horarum: horologium substiterat. Denique postquam, graviter insultans rati, firmitati ejus confido, maximo cum dolore sentio, vix minimam partem eorum, quae vellem, posse me asportare; jam autem deligendum esse. 15. Ab operâ paulisper requiesco; vini ardentis saccharini haurio pocillum, meditorque moestissime. Ea quae ad vitam maxime sunt necessaria, decerno sumere imprimis; tum, arma ad vitam defendendam. Quatuor nautarum arcas commode vehi posse super rati meâ credebam. Totidem exinanio, et, per tollenonem¹