author's preface. Ixxxi 



is, may be found in Mess. Trcvoux^ and elsewhere. "Who 

 is concern'd in his German Quarrel,- and his Chimerical 

 Triumph about St. Mark's Gospel,^ being written in Latin 

 with the Apostles own Hand. If this Fantastick Monk had 

 told his Eeasons modestly ; if he had not with as much 

 Piudeness as Injustice, offended those who never thought 

 anything of him, good or ill, and who are in a con- 

 dition to Chastize when they think fit, he had been more 

 Excusable. 



As for Me then, I write in French,* and in plain French, 

 not aspiring to any higher degree of beauty of Stile, than 

 what is necessary to be understood, nor to any Supernatural 

 Language. I must desire the Eeader to remember, that it 



^ " Without retracting what I have just now said of the Journal of 

 Trevonx, the Rtverend Fathers tliat compose it, will give me Leave to 



make some Reflections here upon their Article of Tome iv This 



Journal is now (1714) made at Paris by some learned Jesuites under 

 the Title of Histoire des Sciences ^' des beaux Arts.'" (Maxirailien Misson'a 

 Preface to fourth edition, New Voyage to Italy.) 



2 Mabillon's Querelle d'Allemande— his dispute with Pere (iermain as 

 to the rules of criticism as applied to the authenticity of manuscript 

 characters may perhaps here be alluded to. 



3 "Hence we proceeded to see the Manuscript of the Gospel of St. 

 Mark, which is kept in a Cupboard hard by, and we viewed it to 

 Content with D. Leith or Galter'ms, the Library Keeper. . . . The 

 characters, tho' scarce legible, are infallibly Latin. ... It is generally 

 said to be St. Mark's writing. I do not remember to have ever seen 

 any Manuscript that seems to be of greater Antiquity than this. But 

 that this Book is writ in Latin is plainly made out by the story I shall 

 now relate. . . . The letter of Emperor Charles the IVth will inform 

 you that he received from the Patriarchal Church of Aquileia two 

 Quires of the Holy Gospel of St. Mark, written with his own Hand, 

 which are in this Cathedral." . . . (Montfaucou's Jourwy through 

 Italy, pp. 73-75.) 



4 "As for their Quotations from the Greek and Latin Poets, which 

 several offer to introduce in great Numbers, into their Writings, there 

 are but very few of them to be found in these Letters.''' (M. Misson, /. c.) 



"As I am far from having a perfect Knowledge of the English 

 Tongue. . . ." (Ibid.) 



f 



