Had we continued thus, I confess we had had much to boast of; but as wise men say, it is ill venturing too near the brink of a command, so we found it; and here again I must do him the justice to own that the first breach was not on his part.
Si nous avions continué ainsi, j'avoue que nous aurions eu bonne raison de nous vanter; mais, disent les sages, il ne faut point s'aventurer trop près du bord d'un commandement; et ainsi nous le trouvâmes; et ici encore je dois lui rendre la justice d'avouer que la première infraction ne fut pas sur sa part.