What  a  pity  it  is,  Cobbett,  that  you  did  not  entrap
me  in  the  Geneva  affair.  Perhaps  you  don't  recollect
this  either.  I  will  refrefh  your  memory.  Remember
that  you  came  acrofs  a  copy  of  the  hiftory  of  the  late
revolution  in  Geneva,  written  in  French,  and  that  hav-
ing propofed  tranflating  it  you  wifhed  me  to  appear  as
•the  tranilator  by  inferting  in  the  title-page,  u  TranJIatcd
from  the  French  by  Samuel  F.  Bradford."  Remember
too,  that  you  mentioned  to  ms  that  you  defignecl,  alfo,


C    19    1

to  write  a  preface,  which  was  to  appear  as  if  coming
from  me  :  your  intention  in  fo  doing,  yon  hinted,  was
to  make  the  public  (who  would  compare  your  ftyle  of
writing  with  the  preface)  take  me  for  the  author,  and
this  you  fuppofed  I  would  be  proud  of.  Your  real  in-
tention was  to  perplex  the  public  opinion  and  -avoid
being  difcovered  ;  for  you  were  at  that  time  excepavely
frightened  at  the  bare  idea  of  fuch  a  thing.  This  \vas
the  time  I  began  to  fee  your  cloven  foot.  Do  you
think  you  a&ed  as  a  man  of  virtue,  honor,  or  principle
in  endeavouring  to  draw  an  inexperienced  young  man
into  an  affair  of  fuch  a  nature  ?  Suppofe,  for  a  mo-
ment, I  had  confented,  what  fweet  nuts  you  would

have  had  to  crack  !  Tiianks  to  my  pride  I  did  not  con-

f  *

fent.  Yes,  to  my  pride,  I  fay  ;  for  it  was  wounded
by  fuch  an  offer.  If  I  had  wifhed  to  become  known  as
a  tranflatorof  the  French  language  or  fome  other  modern
ones,  I  need  only  to  have  affixed  my  nair.  I  pub-

limed  thofe  works  and  mifcellaneous  piece?  which
hitherto  employed  my  leifure  hours.  .Perhaps,  even
now,  you  do  not  remember,  why  you  dropt  the  publi-^
cation — I  will  again  refrefh  your,  memory  :  You  be-
gan the  tranflation  and  intended  to  publifh  it  in  another
name  ;  but,  a  few  days  after,  you  found  it  was  printed
by  Mr.  Fenno,  and  accordingly  gave  it  up.
