William Ponsonby

Gentleman.

London: Imprinted for William Ponsonby, fifteen ninety-six." Upon looking over that work, it was evident that the author of it, and Knowles in his History, had both drawn their information from the same source.

And this I subsequently found to be stated in the two works themselves.

For in a marginal note of Knowles to the portion of the History which treats of Mahomet the Great, it is said, "The great wars betwixt Mahomet and Scanderbeg are at large written by Marinus Barletius in thirteen books, De vita & gestis Scanderbegi, from whence this history is taken, and were done betwixt the years fourteen fifty and fourteen sixty-seven." And to the translation of Lavardin is prefixed "a catalogue of the authors from which this history hath been drawn." This catalogue consists of nineteen names, at the head of which stands, "Marin Barletius, priest of Scutari in Epirus, from whom the most part of this historie is drawn word for word." And in "an advertisement to the reader," it is stated that other writers, "could not so truly and exactly set down the truth of matters as they are here delivered in this history by the Latin author, who being native of the same country with Scanderbeg, and living in the same age and time that he did, is reputed to be the best witness and most perfect reporter of his deeds." My business in this work has been to concentrate Lavardin's history by rendering the language more concise; by omitting many observations which would naturally present themselves to intelligent readers; by giving only the substance of many long speeches, of which the language cannot be correct after being turned from Latin into French by Lavardin, and from French into barbarous English by the translator of Lavardin; by omitting the account of the taking of Constantinople, in which Scanderbeg was not engaged; and by leaving out unimportant matters which seem only to retard the progress of the story.

Gentleman.

London: Imprinted for William Ponsonby, fifteen ninety-six.

Upon looking over that work, it was evident that the author of it, and Knowles in his History, had both drawn their information from the same source.

And this I subsequently found to be stated in the two works themselves.