Letters describing the character and customs of the English and French nations. With a curious essay on travelling; and a criticism [in French and English] of Boileau's description of Paris. Translated from the French / [Anon].

  • Muralt, Béat Louis de, 1665-1749.
Date:
1726
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters describing the character and customs of the English and French nations. With a curious essay on travelling; and a criticism [in French and English] of Boileau's description of Paris. Translated from the French / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    13/332
    much from the Englifh,* and this may, perhaps, he thought to he a fufficient Apo¬ logy for him i and there is no doubt but a great many Faffdges, which are cryd up in French Authors, would make a ve¬ ry indifferent Figure in our Language. Fut, without enlarging any more on this T'opick, the Author is J'ometimes very ob- fcure and metaphyfical, and handles fome SubjeUs with too much Delicacy, at leaft for an Englilh Tajle ; and it is odd to fee him fall into thefe Errors, in regard he opt en cenfures them in other Authors. Here it may not he improper to ohferve, that as fome of thefe Letters were wrote above thirty Tears fince, the Reader muff not he furprizd at the Variation between the Cufloms and Ways of thofe 1imes, {which the Author fometimes takes Notice of) and thofe in our Generations, nor at fome Mi- flakes which he may have fallen into, with regai d to our Laws and Conjlitution ; for fuch may well happen to a Foreigner, not- withjlanding the moft diligent Inquiries. As for the Franflation, it has been a Work of no fmall Difficulty ; which I am perfua- ded will be readily acknowledg'd by thofe who are skill d in the French. Comporti¬ ons ofWitfeldom affume a foreign Dr efs with¬ out confiderable Lofs ; and as the French Language has a greater Store of T hr afes and Jtgnificant Terms than any Living Langua- gfr