Page:Sermons by John-Baptist Massillon.djvu/12

 the weakness or the inaccuracy of the Translation can alone prevent a generous Public from receiving them favourably.

In the Translation he has endeavoured, as much as in him lay, to convey the meaning and sentiments of his original: in doing of which, he may perhaps be thought sometimes too literal; but if the meaning be conveyed, surely the error is on the safest side; for many of our translations may with much more propriety be called paraphrases than translations; and at least in the Translator's opinion, it is much better to err in keeping rather too closely to the text, than by studiously avoiding the appearance of literality, to render the sense both obscure and unintelligible. If the Translator be mistaken, it is an error which in future may easily be corrected; and this being his first publication, he trusts that a generous Public will not cashier a subaltern, because he may not as yet be capable of discharging the duty of a general officer.

The Translator takes this opportunity of returning his acknowledgments to his friends above-mentioned, from whose advice he has reaped many advantages.