Crime & punishment > Essay on crimes and punishments

P R E F A C E.
v
every paragraph in the whole book. But
in this, I conceive, he hath aflumed a
right which belongs not to any tranflator,
and which cannot be juftified. His difpo-
iition may appear more fyftematical, but
certainly the author has as undoubted a
right to the arrangement of his own ideas
as to the ideas themfelves ; and therefore
to deftroy that arrangement, is to pervert
his meaning, if he had any meaning in
his plan, the contrary to which can hard¬
ly be fuppofed.
With regard to the Commentary, at¬
tributed to Monf. de Voltaire, my only
authority for fuppofing it his, is the voice
of the public, which indeed is the only
authority we have for moft of his works.
Let thofe who are acquainted with the
peculiarity of his manner judge for them'
felves.
The facts above mentioned would pre¬
clude all apology for this tranflation, if \
any apology were neceflary, for tranllat-
ing( into our language a work, which,
a 3 from