text:  Out of the numerous translations of clever German books that have recently appeared it is lamentable to observe how few have been done we will not say _well_ but decently and how little justice has been rendered to the talent of the authors; the translators having been for the most part incompetent drudges working by the square foot or persons of some ability who apparently deemed it beneath them to bestow upon translations even a small portion of the pains they devote to original productions