Read Ebook: Christmas in Austria; or Fritzl's friends by Bartlett Frances Hoxie Bertha Davidson Illustrator

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Ebook has 12 lines and 8168 words, and 1 pages

LONDON:

Printed for Edward Valentine, at the Queen's Head against St. Dunstan's Church, Fleetstreet, 1721.

The BOOKSELLER TO THE READER.

THE TRANSLATOR's PREFACE

It will be obvious to every Reader, that I have taken no great Pains to write elegantly. What I endeavour at, is as plain a Stile as possible, which on this Occasion I take to be the best: For since the Instruction of Mankind ought to be the principal Drift of all Writers ; whoever writes to the Capacity of most Readers, in my Opinion most fully answers the End.

I am not ignorant, how tiresome and difficult a Piece of Work it is to translate, nor how little valued in the World. My Experience has convinced me, that 'tis more troublesome and teazing than to write and invent at once. The Idiom of the Language out of which one translates, runs so in the Head, that 'tis next to impossible not to fall frequently into it. And the more bald and incorrect the Stile of the Original is, the more shall that of the Translation be so too. Many of the Quotations in this Book are drawn from Priests, Monks, Friars, and Civil Lawyers, who minded more, in those barbarous Ages, the Substance than the Stile of their Writings: And I hope those Considerations may atone for several Faults, which might be found in my Share of this Work.

But I desire not to be misunderstood, as if I were making any Apology for such a Number of mercenary Scribblers, Animadverters, and Translators, as pester us in this Age; who generally spoil the good Books which fall into their Hands, and hinder others from obliging the Publick, who otherwise would do it to greater Advantage.

"Well, thou canst do both," laughed "Unser Franz."

"Oh dear me," sighed Betty, as the candles having burnt low in the sconces, and upon the great tree, the last good nights were being said: "Christmas is all over!"

"It will come again next year, little sister, it always does," consoled Max, "and next year it will be nicer for Fritzl, because he missed the Christmas tree last night, you know, Betty!"

Transcriber's Notes

The following corrections have been applied to the text:

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