examine them more strictly, and in
contributing by your recommendation to the success of the work. As I
have now an opportunity of putting them to press, I must beg of you to
return them as soon as may be with your remarks. When the rest is
transcribed, relying on your goodness I shall take the liberty to
interrupt your occupations, however important and useful, by sending
it."

The Dutch Booksellers[519] had prefixed to Grotius's Commentary on the
New Testament his head, with a high elogium annexed to it; which vexed
him much. He wrote very seriously to his brother that it was the more
improper, as this effect of vanity was prefixed to a book designed to
inspire humility; that he had tore out the picture in his own copies,
and desired that he would endeavour to get the same done to all the
rest, because it concerned his reputation; and he chose rather to
suppress his Preface, than publish it with this picture. A short
advertisement before his Notes on the New Testament acquaints us that he
began them when a prisoner, that he finished them when a private man,
and printed them when Ambassador. Though this work was far advanced
before he was employed by the Court of Sweden, it is evident from his
letters that he made many additions and amendments to it during his
embassy.

He met with new difficulties after Cardinal Richelieu's death from the
Chancellor Seguier, who never loved him. "The Chancellor of France, he
writes to his brother, August 27, 1644[520], will not grant a privilege
for printing my Commentary on the Old Testament, though very able
Doctors have assured him that it contains nothing contrary to the
doctrine of the Roman Catholics; but he refuses to give any even for
good books, if the authors are not of his communion."

Cramoisi however printed it, but he was afraid of being a loser by the
great expence of a handsome edition in folio if he did not obtain a
privilege, because the Dutch, who could print it much cheaper, would
bring it into France, and undersell him.

The refusal of a privilege[521] did not hinder another Paris bookseller
from undertaking an edition of the Notes on the New Testament, which
Grotius calls his favourite work[522].

M. Simon, whose opinion is not always agreeable to the strictest
justice, judges very favourably, however, of Grotius: "His Notes, says
he, are esteemed by every body; and stand in no need of a particular
recommendation from us. We shall only observe that he abou