When I was informed by a friend who lives near you, that you were returned
to Paris, I resolved to wait on you, as soon as my health would admit.
After having been prevented by the gout for some time, I was in hopes at
length of paying my respects to you at your house, and went thither, but
found you not at home. It is incumbent on me therefore to do that in
writing, which I could not in person, and to return you my acknowledgments
for all the favours you have been pleased to confer upon me, of which I
beg you will be assured, that I shall always retain the most grateful
sense.

And indeed I esteem the books you have lately published, as presents of
exceeding value, and such as do me very great honour. For I have the
highest regard, most excellent Sir, both for you, and for every thing that
comes from so masterly a hand as yours, in the kind of learning you treat;
in which I must believe that you not only excel all other writers, but are
at the same time the best master of speaking and thinking well; and I
freely confess that, though I had applied some time and pains in
cultivating these studies, when I read your volumes over and over again, I
was instructed in things by you, of which I was not only entirely
ignorant, but seemed to myself to have learnt before. You have therefore
too modest an opinion of your work, when you declare it composed solely
for the instruction of youth. What you write may undoubtedly be read with
pleasure and improvement by persons not unacquainted with learning of the
same kind. For whilst you call to mind ancient facts and things
sufficiently known, you do it in such a manner, that you illustrate, you
embellish them; still adding something new to the old, something entirely
your own to the labours of others: by placing good pictures in a good
light, you make them appear with unusual elegance and more exalted
beauties, even to those who have seen and studied them most.

In your frequent correspondence with Xenophon, you have certainly
extracted from him, both what you relate in many places, and every where
his very manner of relating; you seem not only to have imitated, but
attained the shining elegance and beautiful simplicity of that author's
style: so that had Xenophon excelled in the French language, in my
judgment he would have used no other words, nor written in any other
method, upon the subject you treat, than you have done.

I do not say this out of flattery, (which is far from