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Introduction
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the plan of which may be found in the Année Littéraire for 1780, and in the Journal des Savants for 1781; but the project was never executed. The Abbé has left behind him only some eulogies and a few poetical pieces, which are contained in the printed collections of the Academy of Rouen.
The following discourse is perhaps the most finished of his works. It seems, in fact, scarcely possible to bring together more happily so many thoughts in so limited a space, and not less difficult to present them with greater precision and elegance. We have endeavoured to make our translation worthy of so perfect an original.
