66 TABLEAU de la FLAINE de TROYE 



ever carried on *, and that even no fuch city as Troy ever exifted, 

 had employed himfelf occafionally, during that long period, in 

 an attempt to eftablilh the truth of this odd opinion. The fub- 

 jedl had grown a favourite one ; and the author feemed to him- 

 felf to be upon the point of achieving his great undertaking ; 

 ■when M. Chevalier's performance appeared. This obliged 

 liim to flop fhort for a httle, and to paufe. He took his refolu- 

 tion. Encouraged, by obferving fome flips committed by an 

 author, as yet raw in the art of fyftematizing, it feemed more 

 eligible to him to endeavour to reduce the obftrufting fabric to a 

 heap of ruins, than to demolifh and fupprefs his own occafional 

 labour of thirty years. The avowed objecfl, then, of Mr Bry- 

 ant's pamphlet, is to fet afide M. Chevalier's Defcriptioti, as 

 unfound and fanciful. I once indeed heard, that, after the Ob- 

 fervations had come out, the author met with fome travellers, 

 who alTured him, that M. Chevalier's account of the prefent 

 ftate of the Troad was a fair and true one ; in confequence of 

 which, it was reported, that he had renounced his heretical opi- 

 nion upon the fubje<fl, and was to fupprefs his Dijfertation. This 

 I was very glad to hear, as I thought the fo doing would have 

 redounded very much to Mr Bryant's honour. But I was 

 foon convinced that this information was premature, by my re- 

 ceiving a printed copy of the Dijfertation^ in a prefent, from the 

 learned author himfelf ; in the perufal of which, one, every now 

 and then, regrets (at leaft this was the cafe with me) that Mr 

 Bryant had ever xindertaken fuch a toilfome inveftigation, em- 

 ployed fo much learning, and wafted fo much ingenuity, which 

 the appearance of M. Chevalier's work, thirty years fooner, 

 might have prevented ; and perhaps "might have engaged thofe 

 very talents to aflift in fupporting and illuminating a fyftem, 



which 



• See Mr Maclaurin's Diflertation, to prove that Troy was not taken by the 

 Greeks. Vol. 1. p. 43, &.c. Lit. CI. of Tranfa£lions of this Society. 



