32 TABLEAU de la PLAIN de TROT 



It had been perufed alfo, before publication, by feveral gen- 

 tlemen of learning and tafte in this place, who had delired to fee 

 it ; fome of whom exprefled their fatisfadlion in converfation, 

 and others in writing : and, after publication, I received letters 

 from feveral eminent claflical fcholars in England, by whom 

 M. Chevalier's labours were highly approved of. Some of 

 thefe teftlmonies I have happened to preferve*. 



But though M. Chevalier's refearches, thus given to the 

 public in Englifh and in German, and afterwards in the French 

 original in the third volume of the Tranfacflions of this So- 

 ciety, were received in the moft favourable manner by claflical 

 fcholars in general ; yet fomie, who had long before acquiefced 

 in the account of the prefent appearance of this claflical region 

 given by the late Mr Wood, could not conceive how that inge- 

 nious obferver fliould have gone To completely aflray on the 

 ground as had been alleged ; and were difpofed to think, that 

 an enthufiaftic admiration of Homer, common to M. Cheva- 

 lier with many perfons of fenfibility and tafte, might have 

 prefented to his fancy circumftances, and fcenes and appear- 

 ances, of which a cool and unbiafled examiner might not have 

 -perceived the reality. 



Of the Communications of fubfequent Travellers , and of certain Ob- 

 jections that have been made. 



I HAD reafon, therefore, to confider it as a fortunate circum- 

 ftance, that, towards the end of the year 1793, Mr Robert 

 liTSTON, my own mofl; intimate friend ever fince a very early 



period 



* In a card from Mr Home, author of Douglas, ^c. (who ftill takes great delight 

 in fludying his favourite poet HoM£R, particularly the Odyfley), I find the follow- 

 ing expreflion : " I have read over your tranflation of M. Chevalier's Difcourfe, 

 " which is the mod fatisfaftory inveftigation and criticifm I ever read." See Ap- 

 pendix, No. IV. 



