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INTRODUCTION, X.
Ixxxix
authority, the divisions into paragraphs being the only ones that rest upon the authority of the manuscripts.
The translation will be found, in many passages, to differ greatly from the translations published heretofore 1. The nature of this series of translations did not allow us to give full justificatory notes : but we have endeavoured in most cases to make the explanatory notes commend to scholars the new meanings we have adopted ; and, in some instances, we hope that the original text, read anew, will by itself justify our translation.
We must not conclude this introduction without tendering our warmest thanks to Mr. E. W. West, who kindly revised the MS. of the translation before it went to press, and who has, we hope, succeeded in making our often imperfect English more acceptable to English readers.
JAMES DARMESTETER. PARIS: October, 1894.
" Complete translations of the Vendidad have been published by Anquetil Duperron in France (Paris, 1771); by Professor Spiegel in Germany (Leipzig, 1852); by Canon de Harlez in Belgium (Louvain, 1877). The translation of Professor Spiegel was translated into English by Professor Bleeck, who added useful information from inedited Gujarati translations (Hertford, 1864).
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