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 mv 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, 1 That 
the king ennobled me, as a mark of his satisfac- 
tion with my w'ork.’ 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, 
