[Greek:  Blepo gar echthron phota, kai tach’ an kakois
 Gelon, ha de kakourgos exikoit’ aner.—­]

To return to M. Crapelet; and to have done with him.  The motive for his undertaking the version of this memorable Letter, about “BOOKSELLERS, PRINTERS, and BOOKBINDERS at Paris,” seems to be wholly inconceivable; since the logic of the undertaking would be as follows.  BECAUSE I have spoken favourably of the whole typographical fraternity—­and because, in particular, of M. Crapelet, his Menage, and Madame who is at the head of it—­because I have lauded his Press equally with his Cellar—­THEREFORE the “unholy wrath” of M. Crapelet is excited; and he cannot endure the freedom taken by the English traveller.  It would be abusing the confidence reposed in me by written communications, from characters of the first respectability, were I to make public a few of the sentiments contained in them—­expressive of surprise and contempt at the performance of the French typographer.  But in mercy to my adversary, he shall be spared the pain of their perusal.

[120] [A young stranger, a Frenchman—­living near the mountainous solitudes
    between Lyons and the entrance into Italy—­and ardently attached to
    the study of bibliography—­applied himself, under the guidance of a
    common friend—­dear to us both from the excellence of his head and
    heart—­to a steady perusal of the Bibliographical Decameron, and the
    Tour.  He mastered both works within a comparatively short time.  He
    then read A Roland for an Oliver—­and voluntarily tendered to me his
    French translation of it.  How successfully the whole has been
    accomplished, may be judged from the following part—­being the version
    of my preface only.

    OBSERVATION PRELIMINAIRE.

“La production de M. Crapelet rappelee, dans le titre precedent, sera consideree comme un phenomene dans son genre.  Elle est, certes, sans antecedent et, pour l’honneur de la France, je desire qu’elle n’ait pas d’imitateurs.  Quiconque prendra la peine de lire la trentieme lettre de mon voyage, soit dans l’original, soit dans la version de M. Crapelet, en laissant de cote les notes qui appartiennent an traducteur, conviendra facilement que cette lettre manifeste les sentimens les plus impartiaux et les plus honorables a l’etat actuel de la librairie et de l’imprimerie a Paris.  Dans plusieurs passages, ou l’on compare l’execution typographique, dans les deux pays, la superiorite est decidee en faveur de la France.  Quant a l’esprit qui a dicte cette lettre, je declare, comme homme d’honneur, ne l’avoir pas composee, dans un systeme d’opposition, envers ceux qu’elle concerne plus particulierement.

“Cependant, il n’en a pas moins plu a M. Crapelet, imprimeur de Paris, l’un de ceux dont il y est fait plus specialement l’eloge, d’accompagner sa traduction de cette lettre,