rs a portion, however small, of his _own_ atrabiliousness,
to be mixed up with the work translated: nor is it always safe for a third
person to judge of the merits of the original through such a medium. Much
allowance must therefore be made for M. Peignot; who, to say the truth, at
the conclusion of his labours, seems to think that he has waded through a
great deal of _dirt_ of some kind or other, which might have been better
avoided; and that, in consequence, some general declaration, by way of
_wiping, off_ a portion of the adhering mud, is due to the original Author.
Accordingly, at the end of his analysis of M. Licquet's version, (which
forms the second Letter in the brochure) he does me the honour to devote
seven pages to the notice of my humble lucubrations:--and he prefaces this
"_Notice des Ouvrages de M. Dibdin"_, by the following very handsome
tribute to their worth:

Si, dans les deux Lettres ou nous avons rendu compte des traductions
partielles du voyage de M.D., nous avons partage l'opinion des deux
estimable traducteurs, sur quelques erreurs et quelques inconvenances
echappees a l'auteur anglais, nous sommes bien eloigne d'envelopper
dans le meme blame, tout ce qui est sorte de sa plume; car il y auroit
injustice a lui refuser des connaissances tres etendues en histoire
litteraire, et en bibliographie: nous le disons franchement, il
faudroit fermer les yeux a la lumiere, ou etre d'une partialite
revoltante, pour ne pas convenir que, juste appreciateur de tous les
tresors bibliographiques qu'il a le bonheur d'avoir sous la main, M.
Dibdin en a fait connoitre en detail toute la richesse dans de
nombreux d'ouvrages, ou tres souvent le luxe d'erudition se trouve en
harmonie avec le luxe typographique qu'il y a etale.

At the risk of incurring the imputation of vanity, I annex the preceding
extract; because I am persuaded that the candid Reader will appreciate it
in its proper light. I might, had I chosen to do so, have lengthened the
extract by a yet more complimentary passage: but enough of M. Peignot--who,
so far from suffering ill will or acerbity to predominate over a kind
disposition, hath been pleased, since his publication, to write to me a
very courteous Letter,[7] and to solicit a "continuance of my favours."

Agreeably to the intimation expressed in a preceding page, I am now, in due
order, to notice the labours of my translators M.M. LICQUET and CR