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PRINCIPLES OF
Chap. XII.
primary object. He found various English translations at hand, which he judged might save him the labour of a new composition. Jarvis could give him faithfully the sense of his author; and it was necessary, only to polish his asperities, and lighten his heavy and aukward phraseology. To contend with Motteux, Smollet found it necessary to assume the armour of Jarvis. This author had purposely avoided, through the whole of his work, the smallest coincidence of expression with Motteux, whom, with equal presumption and injustice, he accuses in his preface of having "taken his version wholly from the French[1]." We find,therefore,
- ↑ The only French translation of Don Quixote I have ever seen, is that to which in subjoined a continuation of the Knight's adventures, in two supplemental volumes, by Le Sage. This translation has undergone number-
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