Part 132

+entfiel ihr.+

Construe accord. to S. 55, N. 1, and S. 4, N. 4, (+man+).

+Vorfall+, m.

+ließ sie den Mann vor sich führen.+

Use the 2nd pers. pl. (+Ihr+) here and in the following passages, since that was the pronoun generally used in addressing persons in olden times.

to seek to kill a person (or to attempt a person’s life), +einem nach dem Leben trachten+.

to put a person to death unjustly, +einen ungerechterweise hinrichten lassen+.

This caused the death of our child, +dies kostete unserem Kinde das Leben+. The insertion of the adv. +auch+ after the verb ‘caused’ would considerably improve the German rendering.

to excite a person to revenge, +einen zur Rache antreiben+. Use the Impf.

+verfahren.+

+begnadigen+, v. tr.

+Bürgschaft+, f.

a — conditions, +eine bedingungsweise Begnadigung+.

+Gnade+, f.

+hinsichtlich+, followed by the Gen. The words ‘to (+auf+) your gratitude’ are best placed at the end.

Section 163.

TACITUS.

I am glad to find, by your (= thy) letter just received, that you are reading Tacitus with some relish. His style is rather quaint and enigmatical, which (S. 3, N. 7) makes it difficult to the student; but then his pages are filled with such admirable apothegms and maxims of political wisdom, as infer the deepest knowledge of human nature; and it is particularly necessary that any one intending to become a public speaker should be master of his works, as there is neither an ancient nor a modern author who affords such a selection of admirable quotations. You should exercise yourself frequently in trying to make translations of the passages which most strike you, trying to invest the sense of (S. 25, N. 5) Tacitus in as good English as you can. This will answer the double purpose of making yourself familiar with the Latin author, and giving you the command of your own language, which no person will ever have who does not study composition in early life.—SIR WALTER SCOTT, “LETTERS TO HIS SON.”

here +ersehen+; by, +aus+.

Use the def. art. accord. to S. 25, N. 5.

= unusual and unclear (+dunkel+).

to make difficult, +erschweren+; student = pupil.

= on the other hand, +andererseits+.

= writings, +Schriften+; filled with such, +so voll von+.

as infer = that they prove.

Say ‘should thoroughly (+gründlich+) know his works’.

Say ‘as there is (S. 82, N. 7) no classical nor (+noch+) modern author (+Schriftsteller+)’.

in trying = in the attempt, +in dem Versuche+.