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PREFACE. V
straw against another, is yet unsatisfactory 1 the great object, the accurate
representation of the text and ideas of the original travellers. Hence %
is well known that, while his work is forgotten, the French translation,
presented in the first twelve volumes of the Histoire Generale des Voyages,
cannot be consulted or quoted with impunity. This is certainly a heavy
grievance to the purchaser of such an expensive work, who has reason to
expect that he has procured a complete library of voyages and travels ;
but finds, on the contrary, that he must purchase the originals, if he
desires either to read without error, or to quote without inaccuracy.
The plan of annotation, pursued by:Green and Prevost, is also lable
tostrong objections. A difference of opinion, between an editor and his
original author, can scarcely be of such moment as to divert the reader
from the course and interest of the narrative. ‘The contradiction of the
text by a note is seldom pleasing, and must be done upon another
authority, commonly not superior to the original. It would have been
remarkably easy for the Editor to have given many corrective notes
from his own Geography; which may be regarded as a_ perpetual
commentary upon the voyages and travels here collected. But the
facility of such a ‘plan was more obvious than its honesty, in enlarging
a work, by information, already in the hands of the Public, and diffused
among numerous readers, by numerous editions, both in Europe
and America.
The peculiar province of an annotator isto ilustrate obscure passages,
{though some commentators rather obscure than ilustrate,) and im
‘such a collection as ‘the present there’ are happily few obscurities to
illustrate. ‘The easy parade of learned notes also appears incongruous in
a work designed ‘for ‘popular amusement, as well as -general infor-
mation.
In works of a magnitude surpassing their limited comprehension, the
most ignorant are the most apt to decide, and the most malicious to
condemn.
For fools will tush «where angels fear to tread.
a 2 Men
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