Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/239

Rh false reports of this story that they think the Editor himself desired the MS. either by letter to me, or by a personal visit. I heartily wish it had been so; for then all this dispute had been prevented. But the gentleman was not pleased to honour me with his commands. If he had favoured me with one line, or had sent his desire by any scholar, I would not only have lent the book, but have collated it myself for him. But it was both our misfortunes, that he committed the whole affair to the care, or rather negligence, of his bookseller: and the first application himself made to me, was by that compliment in his printed Preface.

I am surprised to see an honourable person think he has fully justified himself for abusing me, by reasons that he has found out since the time of the abuse. For even take his own account, and when he printed that Preface, he had heard nothing but on one side. And was that like a man of his character, to put a public affront upon me, upon the bare complaint of a bookseller, who was the party suspected of the fault? What! never to inquire at all, whether he had not misinformed him, when there was such reason to