Rebilius Cruso: Robinson Crusoe, in Latin; a book to lighten tedium to a learner
Rebilius Cruso est fabula a Francisco Guilelmo Newman Latine composita, ex Roberti Crusoe historia ab Daniele Defoe scripta libere deprompta. Narrat de homine naufrago qui, navi fracta, solus in insulam desertam eicitur. Ibi multos annos vivit, casam aedificat, agros colit, animalia mansuefacit, cibum sibi parat, et omnibus artibus ad vitam sustinendam necessariis ipse instruitur. Tandem indigenas et postea nautas convenit, atque post longam solitudinem in patriam revehitur. Auctor narrationem Defoeanam breviorem fecit, fabulam variavit, et sermonem facilem reddidit.
Hic liber non tantum delectationis causa scriptus est, sed praecipue ut tirones linguam Latinam facilius ediscant. Newman enim credidit lectionem amplam et iucundam plus valere quam minutam paucorum locorum curam. Tractat de constantia, sollertia, solitudine, et de homine qui naturae viribus solus resistit. Vocabulorum copiam praebet quam classici scriptores eiusdem longitudinis vix offerunt, et exemplum est sermonis Latini ad discendum accommodati. Itaque et discentibus utilis et peritioribus lectoribus gratus esse potest.
How it begins
Important note : If during the Middle Ages Latin evolved independently from its classical archetype, the humanists of the Renaissance strove to restore the original language by drawing from copies of the works of ancient authors. These copies being imperfect, the spelling of certain words was impaired with folk etymology and influenced by improper pronunciation, and the length of the vowels, despite its importance in the classical language, was and still is widely neglected. Only the rise of Indo-European studies, especially after 1850, helped restoring and gradually spread the original forms and sounds of the words. Older works, when they are republished, may also benefit from the most recent spelling, and as such show more useful to students who need to learn from the best standards, or just provide a more pleasurable reading experience to more advanced readers. Therefore, this work is offered to you in the original version, but also in a renewed version, with better spelling if applicable, and long vowels noted with macrons . On the other hand, although the spelling has been modified, vocabulary, grammar and syntax, fortunate or not, which belong to the author, were kept as they were out of respect for the original work.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain.