36 MEMOIR OF 



intended to publish them myself; and I have now 

 nothing else remaining respecting quadrupeds* 



" As to the request you have been so good as 

 to make, Sir, of dedicating your translation to me, 

 I accept it with gratitude ; and, at the same time, 

 I beg you to receive my thanks for all the marks 

 of esteem and all the eulogiums which you have 

 so liberally bestowed upon me in your prospectus. 

 I shall only observe, that there are a few things 

 which are not sufficiently exact. For example, 

 you say, * That I received all the animals 

 through royal munificence, and that all the ex- 

 penses of my work have been defrayed by the 

 king.' You may be assured, Sir, that the whole 

 was executed by myself, and by my own proper 

 researches. In the same manner, you say, ' That 

 the king ennobled me, as a mark of his satisfac- 

 tion with my work.' Now, Sir, I assure you, 

 that I was formerly noble, as well as my ances- 

 tors ; and that the king only added a higher title 

 when he erected my estates into an earldom. 



" Since you are so much occupied, Sir, with my 

 works, it is proper to inform you that, indepen- 

 dent of the sixteen quarto volumes with which 

 you are acquainted, and of the volume upon 

 quadrupeds I am about to print, I have composed 

 the Natural History of Birds in nine volumes 

 quarto, six of which are published, and the 

 seventh is in the press ; and that, beside the 

 common copperplates which are inserted in 

 these volumes, I have, during twenty years, 

 caused illuminated plates to be made in folio, 



