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THE

YOUTH'S COMPANION,

OR AN

Historical Dictionary;

CONSISTING OF

ARTICLES CHIEFLY SELECTED FROM

NATURAL AND CIVIL HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY,
ASTRONOMY, ZOOLOGY, BOTANY,
AND MINERALOGY;

ARRANGED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

BY EZRA SAMPSON,

Author of the Selection, entitled "Beauties of the Bible."

THIRD EDITION.

HUDSON :

PRINTED FOR NATHAN ELLIOTT, OF CATSKILL, AND
WEBSTERS AND SKINNERS, OF ALBANY,
Joint Proprietors of the Copy-Right.

WILLIAM L. STONE, AND RICHARD CORSS, PRINTERL

mmm

Edue T 98.16.767

DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, ss.

BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the Twenty-Fifth Day of November, in the Thirty-Third Year of the Independence of the United States of America, EZRA SAMPSON, of the said District, hath deposited in this Office, the title of a book, the Right whereof he claims as Author, in the words following, to wit:

66

The youth's Companion, or an Historical Dictionary: "consisting of articles selected chiefly from Natural and "Civil History, Geography, Astronomy, Zoology, Botany "and Mineralogy, arranged in alphabetical order. By EZRA "SAMPSON, author of the selection, entitled "Beauties of "the Bible."

In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled "An Act for the Encouragemeut of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned," and also to an Act entitled "An act supplementary to an Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies, during the Times therein mentioned, and extending the Benefits thereof to the Arts of Designing, Engraving, and Etching Historical and other Prints."

EDWARD DUNSCOMB,

Clerk of the District of New York,

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORK.

The Rev. DAVID PORTER, D. D. of Catskill, has favored us with his opinion, as follows:

"I have examined the Historical Dictionary with some care, and think it contains as rich a compendium of facts, concisely and elegantly expressed, as any work of its size, within the compass of my knowledge. It is a book in my opinion admirably adapted to youth; and such is its real merit, that I am convinced that it needs only to be known to entitle it to the universal patronage of schools and academies throughout our country.

"The book contains an epitome of science, chaste, moral, and beautifully deseriptive; and it cannot fail both to entertain and instruct. DAVID PORTER."

The Rev. JOHN CHESTER, of Hudson, transmits to us the following remarks;

"The Historical Dictionary, in the opinion of the subscriber, is a most important and valuable acquisition to the schools of our country. Its learned and judicious author has manifested uncommon discrimination and ability in his work. The Dictionary is extremely interesting and instructive to the scholar, who, as he learns to read, stores his mind with facts which are always useful. It is a kind of TEXT BOOK, the usefulness of which out-lives the period of pupilage, and may be retained with advantage among the number of those works which will always amuse and instruct the person of mature age. It is, in my opinion, one of the best school books with which I am acquainted, and has a fair claim to esteem and patronage. JOHN CHESTER."

Mr. ASHBEL STRONG, well known for many years as an instructor in several academies in this state, and who has had the best opportunity of becoming acquainted with the merits of this book, has favoured us with his remarks:

"Sampson's Historical Dictionary is, in my opinion, one of the best school books ever published. It contains in the compass of a few hundred pages a great variety of important historical, geographical, and philosophical facts, arranged in alphabetical order, and expressed in a neat, concise, and perspicuous manner. The book is well adapted to the capaci ties of youth, and extremely well suited to engage their attention, I have kept it in constant use among my pupils ever since its first publication, and think it needs only to be generally known, to gain the fullest credit and currency in our academies and schools. ASHBEL STRONG."

The following remarks on the Historical Dictionary were made by the learned SAMUEL WILLIAMS, LL. D. author of the History of Vermont, in a letter to a friend-" I thank

RECOMMENDATIONS.

you cordially for the Historical Dictionary and must request you to tender my thanks and best regards to its author. The work is so well adapted, although on a novel plan, that I feel myself bound to acknowledge how much I am indebted for the acquisition. Already have my sons with their classes gone eagerly through it two or three times. I shall take a great deal of pleasure in introducing it among my friends, and do most devoutly hope it may become extensively known. As a little compend of useful knowledge in Natural History, I regard it as the best work of the size that I have ever seen in our language. The references to authorities from which this valuable miniature is drawn, will be found very serviceable."

The Rev. TIMOTHY CLOWES, Minister of the Episcopal Church in the city of Albany, has politely furnished us with the following recommendation:

Messrs. WEBSTERS & SKINNERS,

Albany, May 24, 1813.

At your request I have examined Mr. Sampson's Historical Dictionary, and have no hesitation in stating it as my opinion, that the plan and execution of the work are alike excellent. Compilations of this kind are of more use than is generally imagined. The young and the ignorant need them; the better informed have frequent occasion to be reminded of what they formerly learned. Much is contained in this book which every child ought to know, and with which he has few opportunities of being acquainted in the course of a common school education. What is here comprised will have a beneficial tendency to excite curiosity in youth, and direct their attention to works of more established credit and greater pretensions. Were it to be introduced into schools as a class book, it would advance the pupils in the art of reading as rapidly as any other, while at the same time it would impart to their minds a store of useful and interesting knowledge.

Yours,

TIMOTHY CLOWES.

Mr. ROBERT O. K. BENNETT, whose reputation as a public Teacher of youth in the city of Albany, for many years, is of the first standing, has communicated to us his opinion, in the following note:

Messrs. WEBSTERS & SKINNERS,

Albany, May 27, 1813.

I have no hesitation in saying, that I wholly agree in the preceding recommendations of the "Historical Dictionary." Perhaps there is not extant any other book which contains so many useful facts, and such a fund of useful information, in so small a compass. No fewer than eight hundred and fifty articles, of primary importance, are comprised in this smail volume. I am heartily rejoiced that a discerning public has demanded a second edition, and those who have undertaken to supply that demand have my best wishes for their success. R. O. K. BENNETT.

Yours,

PREFATORY REMARKS.

ANY readers of this book, who can find little or nothing in it but what they knew as well before, are respectfully informed that it is not meant for them, but for people whose advantages have been fewer, or whose knowledge is less extensive. It is designed, more particularly as a Companion for Youth; yet so as not to be a useless companion for mature age. Much in a small compass, has been my aim and as I have generally named the authors to whom I am indebted, so the reader will know to whose writings he may have recourse for a more enlarged view of some of the subjects which are here given in compendium.

Among the Geographical articles, many places are mentioned for the sake of relating some historical facts connect ed with them; while other places of much more importance have been unnoticed. The articles on Astronomy are derived from respectable authorities: they can hardly fail to excite in the mind of the reader, some ideas of the astonishting power and wisdom of the Creator. Many particulars in this compilation are on the subjects of Zoology and Botany; the study of these sciences is both useful and delightful, and is recommended by the example of Solomon, who "spake of trees, from the cedar tree that was in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; and spake also of beasts and of fowls, and of creeping things, and of fishes.", As a knowledge of the history of animals, and of plants or vegetables, conduces to human safety, convenience, and sustenance, so it tends also to improve and exalt the moral sentiment; forasmuch as the workmanship displayed in the structure of the meanest animal that breathes, or even of the most unregarded vegetable that grows, infinitely surpasses all the works of men.

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