My Dear Carlyle,--I received by the last steamer your letter with
the copy of the covenant with Wiley and Putnam, which seems
unexceptionable. I like the English side of those men very well;
that is, Putnam seems eager to stand well and rightly with his
fellow-men. Wiley at New York it was who provoked me, last
winter, to write him an angry letter when he declared his
intention to reprint our new matter without paying for it. When
he thought better of it, and came to terms, I had not got so far
as to be affectionate, and have never yet resumed the
correspondence I had with him a year ago, about my own books. I
hope you found my letter to them, though I do not remember which,
properly cross. I believe I only enumerated difficulties. I
have talked with Little and Brown about their editions of
_Chartism,_ and _Past and Present;_ they have made no new sales
of the books since they were printed on by the pirates, and say
that the books lie still on their shelves, as also do a few
copies of the London and Boston edition of _French Revolution._
I prayed them immediately to dispose of these things by auction,
or at their trade sales, at whatever prices would sell them, and
leave the market open for W. & P.; which they promise to do.
To Munroe I went, and learn that he has bought the stereotype-
plates of the New York pirate edition of _Sartor,_ and means to
print it immediately. He is willing to stop if W. & P. will buy
of him his plates at their cost. I wrote so to them, but they
say no. And I have not spoken again with Munroe. I was in town
yesterday, and carried the copy of the Covenant to E.P. Clark,
and read him your message. His Bank occupies him entirely just
now, for his President is gone to Europe, and Clark's duties are
the more onerous. But finding that the new responsibilities
delegated to him are light and tolerable, and, at any rate,
involve no retrospection, he very cheerfully signified his
readiness to serve you, and I graciously forbore all allusions to
my heap of booksellers' accounts which he has had in keeping now
--for years, I believe. He told me that he hopes at no distant
day to have a house of his own,--he and his wife are always at
board,--and, whenever that happens, he intends to devote a
chamber in it to his "Illustrations of Mr. Carlyle's Writings,"
which, I believe, I have told you before, are a very large and
extraordinary collection of prints, pictures, books, and
manuscripts. I sent you the promised Daguerrotype with all
unwillingness, by the steamer, I think of 16 June. On 1 August,
Margaret Fuller goes to England and the Continent; and I shall
not fail to write to you by her, and you must not fail to give a
good and faithful interview to this wise, sincere, accomplished,
and most entertaining of women. I wish to bespeak Jane Carlyle's
friendliest ear to one of the noblest of women. We shall send
you no other such.
I was lately inquired of again by an agent of a huge Boston
society of young men, whether Mr. Carlyle would not come to
America and read Lectures, on some terms which they could
propose. I advised them to make him an offer, and a better one
than they had in view. Joy and Peace to you in your new freedom.
--R.W.E.