Torrington Square, 26 May, 1846.
SIR,
Your communication of this day induces me, most reluctantly, to add one
more letter to our correspondence. It is proper that I should advert to
my letter of the 20th of October, 1837, of which you have made so candid
and gentlemanly, and, if I condescended to imitate your style, I might
say, so "_characteristic_" a use.
The production of that letter gives me neither surprise nor concern. I
usually write and speak from the impression of the moment, and must
expect occasionally, especially after an interval of nearly nine years,
to find some inconsistencies in my opinions. In this case, however, the
inconsistency is more apparent than real; but, be it great or small, you
are welcome to any use you can make of it.
The facts, as you well know, were these: In 1837 it seems that I was not
satisfied with the management of the Reading Room, as the time in
obtaining printed books was greater than it had formerly been. You
succeeded to the Department, and introduced the Rules which have in
practice proved inconvenient, but which were supposed to do much, within
the first few weeks after your appointment, to remedy the evil. It seems
also that you made other improvements, and that the changes elicited my
praise. Experience has, however, proved that I was mistaken; and I have
long since seen my mistake. So long as the apparent effect lasted, it
appeared to justify the apparent cause. It was better to give ten
minutes to the Catalogue, than to wait three, not to say six times as
long (as I have often done of late) for a book. The additional trouble,
however, remains, without the advantage which alone justified its
imposition. It is really too much to oblige Readers to waste their time
over the Catalogue, and to revert to worse than the old delays. So long
as your plan worked well, I approved of it. For some years past it has
worked ill, and I have condemned it. You wisely tried an experiment, but
you unwisely continue the plan, though it has failed. I have no
reluctance to avow a change in my opinions, whenever it has been
produced by a change in the circumstances on which it was formed; but I
have no respect for mulish obstinacy, or bigotted self sufficiency.
You may be sure that if a convenient opportunity be afforded me for
printing my letter to you of October, 1837, it shall, after collation
with the original, be published. But I will not separate it from this
correspondence. The English Public would learn with astonishment the
manner in which, by a series of _unmarked_ quotations, a generous letter
may be perverted to ungenerous purposes.