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Excerpt from The Idylls of Theocritus, Bion, and Moschus, and the War-Songs of Tyrtæus Whatever the labour, the translator is aware that the credit attaching to a prose translation is by no means large. Yet he believes that, properly applied, such a work may be of great advantage and though a resolute opponent of the in discriminate use of a crib, he is not the less persuaded that there are many hard-working tyros, as well as advanced students, to whom it may be a great boon, and whose progress in classical knowledge it will assist rather than impede. He has taken up the work con amore; inasmuch as the taste for the Bucolic Poets, which he imbibed under one who had a keen appreciation of their beauties, - and who, in his too brief tenure of the head-mastership of one of our principal schools, manifested singular felicity in inspiring his pupils with a zest for their song, - has grown into an ardent desire to do somewhat towards their more extended study. He rejoices to hear that there is hope of a fresh edition of the Greek Bucolic Poets from the University of Cambridge, the promise of which is not likely to be imperfectly fulfilled, considering the hand from which it is to come. Meanwhile, if through this unpretending translation, which, without being servile in its literality, is, the translator hopes, sufficiently close, a score more men within the next two years shall be induced to place Theo critus on their list for the public examinations at Oxford, he will not regret the labour bestowed upon rendering into bare prose a hard whose lays are so full of poetry. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in