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LETTERS

TO AND FROM

EDWARD GIBBON, Esq.

THE Letters of Mr. Gibbon, from the time of his return to Switzerland in 1788, are annexed to his Memoirs, as the best continuation of them. Among his Letters of an earlier date, I find several which he has alluded to, and others which will illustrate the account he has given of himself. These, I flatter myself, will please the generality of readers; since, when he touches on matters of private business, even subjects of the driest nature become interesting, from his mode of treating them. Many Letters from distinguished persons to him will be introduced, and some that he received at a very early period of life. Although we have not all his own Letters to which these were answers, yet we have enough to testify his ambition, even in youth, to be distinguished as a scholar. It is curious to observe a young person, scarcely nineteen years old, so ambitious of literary fame, and so solicitous of perfection, as to commence a critical correspondence with some of the most distinguished learned men at that time in Europe, viz. M. Crevier of Paris, M. Allamand of Bex, M. Breitinger of Zurich, M. Gesner of Gottingen, &c.; and at a later age it appears, from the following letters, that he corresponded with many highly distinguished persons, as well as literary characters, of his own country.

It has been sometimes thought necessary to offer to the Public an apology for the publication of private Letters. I have no scruple to say, that I publish these, because I think they place my friend in an advantageous point of view. He might not, perhaps, have expected that all his Letters should be printed; but I have no reason to believe that he would have been averse to the publication of any. If I had, they never would have been made public, however highly I might have conceived of their excellence.

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JE ne puis qu'être très sensible aux témoignages d'estime dont vous voulez bien me combler, quoique je sois fort éloigné de les prendre à la lettre, et de me regarder comme un oracle. Mais je suis homme vrai, et par là même qui aime à profiter des lumières que l'on a la bonté de me communiquer. Ainsi, Monsieur, je reçois avec toute la satisfaction possible

SIR,

[TRANSLATION.]

Mr. CREVIER to Mr. GIBBON.

Paris, 7th August, 1756. I AM extremely obliged by your expressions of esteem, without taking them in the literal sense, and believing myself an oracle. But I am a lover of truth and sincerity, and always ready to avail myself of the communications of my learned friends. With the greatest pleasure, therefore, I received your ingenious conjecture

VOL. I.

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