ves will be the more ready to
blush when they see +Heathens+ so plainly out-do us +Christians+ in
their +Morals+; for their principal Vices in their Plays, were
chiefly from the Ignorance of the Times, but we have no such
pretence. This alone might ha' been a sufficient reason for our
undertaking this Design.

But to come now to what we have done; 'tis not to be expected we
shou'd wholly reach the Air of the Original; that being so peculiar,
and the Language so different; We have imitated our Author as well
and as nigh as the +English+ Tongue and our small Abilities wou'd
permit; each of us joyning and consulting about every Line, not only
for the doing of it better, but also for the making of it all of a
piece. We follow'd no one +Latin+ Copy by it self, because of the
great Disagreements among 'em, but have taken any that seem'd
truest. We look'd over all the +Notes+, sometimes they would help us
a little, and often not; some hints we had from the +French+, but
not very many; besides we had considerable helps from other Persons
far above our selves, for whose Care and Pains we shall ever
acknowledge our Gratitude. A meer +Verbal Translation+ is not to be
expected, that wou'd sound so horribly, and be more obscure than the
Original; but we have been faithful Observers of his Sence, and even
of his Words too, not slipping any of consequence without something
to answer it; nay farther, where two Words seem to be much the same,
and perhaps not intended to be very different by the Author, we were
commonly so nice as to do them too; such as +Segnitia+ and
+Socordia+, +Scire+ and +Noscere+, and the like, which is more exact
than most, if not all, our modern Versions. We cou'dn't have kept
closer (especially in this Author, which several ingenious Persons
told us, +Is the hardest in the World to translate+;) without too
much treading upon the Author's Heels, and destroying our Design of
giving it an easie, +Comick Style+, most agreeable to our present
Times. If we have been guilty of any Fault of this nature, it seems
to be that of keeping too close.

But still to be more particular; we did all we cou'd to prevent any
of the Meaning and Grace of the best +Words+ to be lost; so that we
were often forc'd to search and study some time for those most
proper, and oftentimes to express 'em by two, and sometimes by a
+Circumlocution+: Which Madam +Dacier+ her self, as accurate as she
is accompted, has often neglected: And thereby