Name/Title
Letter from Washington Irving to Gulian VerplanckEntry/Object ID
HHV 003.37Description
Letter from Washington Irving to Gulian VerplanckSubject
Magazine, debt, health, pamphletSubject Person/Organization
Washington Irving (1783-1859), Eliza Fenno Verplanck, Thomas Isaac Wharton, Gulian VerplanckSubject Place
* Untyped Subject Place
Philadelphia, PACollection
Irving Manuscript CollectionTranscription
Transcription
Philadelphia, Jan’y 21st 1815
Dear Sir.
I received your letter of the 17th and com - / municated the contents to [Thomas]. He says he has / forwarded a letter to Van Winkle + Wiley signed by his / Afsigners, which containing terms which he thinks will / perfectly secure them. He has also written to you on / the subject of the Magazine. As to my conduct / towards him it has not been such as to call forth / any particular exprefsions of gratitude. I promptly signed / off whatever was due to me, however I thought him unfor - / tunate of the [criteria/criticism/critics?] of other peoples misconduct - and / I told him that should he continue the magazine on / his own account, I should cheerfully contribute to it / [gratuitously] for the purpose of setting him a going / again. I however would never again undertake the / editorship of that or of any other periodical work. / I at the same time told him that I thought it probable / you would be willing to continue the Editor provided you / were secured in a proper [crossed out?] compensation for the / irksome labour of the business; and indeed I believe / you would find it greatly to your advantage to keep /
[END OF PAGE 1]
the work up, until some satisfactory arrangement / can be made. The Subscription list is so large that it / would take a long time to get any other work into so / prosperous a circulation.
For the Sums which Thomas is indebted to you, you will / have your chance with the other creditors
Should Van Winkle + Wiley find themselves encouraged to / print and-xx a Number for february . I think you had / better get one ready, and present the imprefsion that the / work is likely to fall through.
I am very sorry to hear that Eliza is again / unwell. She should not, in her present delicate state / of health run any risks at those dangerous night / parties. Remember me affectionately to her
Your friend
Washington Irving
P.S. I have not yet seen this [ba-??-tling?] which you / suspected to have been begotten between those two / Giants in literature and Science the Mayor + the / Doctor. It must be a monstrous production to have / warranted such a suspicion. Take care how you / meddle another time with Philosophers: its well we’ve /
[END OF PAGE 2]
Been let off with a mere pamphlet + not buried / alive under those spungy octavoes which then / prolific [v–lets?] so readily spawn forth
_____
Since writing the previous I have seen your letter / to Thomas, and concur entirely with you as / to your proposition on the future conduct of the [work? - page torn] / [page torn] I shall remain here as for until a few days [page torn] / + xx if I can make any arrangement to promote / the interests of [poor Thomas], will most assuredly / do it.
By the Bye, I believe Van Winkle + Wiley have not / sent on the Box of magazines reviews +c if so I wish them to / hold them in their possession for me - as I have many pre- / ceding + [mi–ing?] numbers + shall receive more by future / arrivals to make up Lots. I have not received any re - / compense for them nor indeed sent in any bill. As they / are broken sets they can be of not one [th–en??] its value / to anyone In that they can to me
[END OF PAGE 3]
[ADDRESS]
Gulian C Verplanck Esq.
New York
[POSTMARK]
12 [?]
[POSTAGE STAMP - red ink, circle]
PHI
21
[JAN?]
[SIDE]
Washington IrvingTranscriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
EnglishOther Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
Former NumberOther Number
W 8
