A selection from Lord Chesterfield's Letters to his son, on education ... / prepared for translation into French ... By Isidore Brasseur.

  • Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of, 1694-1773
Date:
1846
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A selection from Lord Chesterfield's Letters to his son, on education ... / prepared for translation into French ... By Isidore Brasseur. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    9 custom : for example, we say Ovid and Virgil, and not Ovidius and Virgilius, as they are in Latin : but then{ we say, Augustus Caesar, as in the Latin, and not August Caesar, which would be the trueg English. We say Scipio Africanus as in Latin, and not Scipio the African. We say Tacitus, and not Tacit : so that in short, custom11 is the only rule to be observed1 in this case. But, wherever custom and usage will allow it, I would rather choose > not to alter the ancient proper names. They have more dignity Ithinkk in their ownj than in our language.™ The French, change most of the ancient proper names, and give them a French tel ruination, whichn sometimes sounds even ridiculous’,0 as for instance, they call the em¬ peror Titus, Tite; and the historian Titus- Livius, whom we commonly call in English Livy, they calL Tite Live. I am very glad ^on started(i this objection \ for the only way to get knowledge, is to inquire and object. r Pray remember to asks questions, and to make1 your objections, whenever you do not nndei stand, or have any doubts about ami thing. f ?utre —-8 proprement — h en un mot — i que Ion doive observer —j j’aimerais mieux —k ce me sem- ble— J propre Iangue— m ]a notre—n ce qui—o forme ran son ridicule a nos oreilles—P 1’appellent — q ayez propose r de faire des objections — s de faire — 1 pro¬ poser—« une chose ou qu’elle vous aura fait naitre ouel- ques doutes. 1