y country in which such an undertaking
could be carried into effect. Who in France would dare to risk such a
sum--especially for three, volumes in octavo? He would be ruined, if he
did."[2] I quote these passages simply to shew under what extraordinary
obliquity of feeling those gentlemen must have set down to the task of
translation and abuse--of THAT VERY WORK, which is here admitted to contain
such splendid representations of the "bibliographical, antiquarian, and
picturesque" beauties of their country.

A brief account of this foreign _travail_ may be acceptable to the curious
in literary history. MONS. LICQUET, the successor of M. Gourdin, as Chief
Librarian to the Public Library at Rouen, led the way in the work of
warfare. He translated the ninth Letter relating to that Public Library; of
which translation especial mention is made at p. 99, post. This version was
printed in 1821, for private, distribution; and only 100 copies were struck
off. M. Crapelet, in whose office it was printed, felt the embers of
discontent rekindled in his bosom as it passed through his press; and in
the following year HE also stepped forward to discharge an arrow at the
Traveller. Like his predecessor, he printed but a limited number; and as I
have more particularly remarked upon the spirit of that version by way of
"Introduction" to the original letter, in vol. ii. 209, &c. I shall not
waste the time of the Reader by any notice of it in the present place.
These two partial translators united their forces, about two years
afterwards, and published the whole of the Tour, as it related to FRANCE,
in four octavo volumes, in 1825. The ordinary copies were sold for 48
francs, the large paper for 112 francs per copy. The wood-cuts only were
republished by them. Of this conjoint, and more enlarged production,
presently.

Encouraged by the examples of Messrs. Licquet and Crapelet, a Bookbinder of
the name of LESNE (whose poem upon his "Craft," published in 1820, had been
copiously quoted and _commended_ by me in the previous edition) chose to
plant his foot within this arena of controversy; and to address a letter to
me; to which his model, M. Crapelet, was too happy to give circulation
through the medium of his press.[3] To that letter the following metrical
lines are prefixed; which the Reader would scarcely forgive me if I failed
to amuse him by their introduction in this place. "_Lesne, Relieur
Francais, a Mons. T.F. Dibdin, Ministre de la