537 
praises are suspected of this, perhaps fur no other reason, thart 
that because the generality of mankind do not deserve them, 
we are unwilling to allow that any exceptions are to be found. 
There are sometimes persons who rise to such a degree of 
excellence, that the praises which can be applied to them 
with the strictest propriety, would, if bestowed on other men, 
be no better than an indirect libel on their memories, at least 
make them appear ridiculous. It is true, that the writer of 
this was an intimate friend of Mr. Le Coitteur, and therefore 
it affords him now a melancholy pleasure to delineate his de¬ 
parted worth ; but he knows that falsehood could not fail of 
being discovered, and that affection itself should give way to 
truth. 
This sketch cannot be better concluded, than with a tran¬ 
slation of some lines descriptive of a good man ; they are 
taken from a French poem on Hope, lately published at Loh~ 
cld'n by one of his relatives. 
He sees futurity without affright; 
His duties form his glory and delight". . 
His country’s service each exertion calls; 
He wipes the tear that from misfortune falls; 
£ach day produces generous deeds, still bloom 
His virtues to the confines of the tomb. 
Science and friendship, with their mild’ning ray* 
Embellish still the ev’ning of his day ; 
And rais’d already from this low abode* 
Hope bears him to the bosom of his God. 
Mr. Le Couteur received the most flattering testimonies of 
approbation from the President of the Board of Agriculture, 
to whom his work is dedicated. He had also the thanks of 
the Society for the Encouragement of Arts and Manufactures. 
This translation was to have been performed under the Super- 
intendance of Mr. Le Couteur himself, if his life had been 
preserved a little longef. He intended to have made several 
additions and improvements, which have now been adopted, 
as far as it could be done from an inspection of l\is papers. 
Nothing has been added or retrenched without sufficient au¬ 
thority. As to the merit of the Work, the agricultural reader 
will be best able to judge. Tlie author is clear and concise. 
Which is by no means the case With the generality of writers of 
his class. The abstract from M. Lancry’s experiments to 
make fruit trees bear, is in Mr. Le Cputeur’s own words: 
•“The idea originated with the famous Count Bliffon, though 
it has lately been modestly claimed in this country as a new disco¬ 
very.” The ingenious Major Le Hardy, of the Island of Jer¬ 
sey, has followed up M. Lancry’s practice with a great number 
'of experiments, the results of which will not fail to be very 
interesting, when they are published. The translator is happy 
to avail himself of this opportunity to acknowledge the advice 
and assistance he has received from him in the progress of his 
undertaking. 
October i, i 8 o 3 . 
WORCESTSRSHIRE.J , Z TO 
