John F. Watson to Thomas Jefferson, [ca. 22 October 1816]
From John F. Watson
[ca. 22 Oct. 1816]
Sir,
I have lately seen some books in this place which are for sale low & which might be desireable to you to possess—They belong to the Estate of Benjn Davis,1 an old friend, whom you may remember as among the first members of the Philosophical society—I will add a description of a few of those most curious or rare—Should you think well to enquire further respecting them, I will fulfil you any service respecting them gratis—or you might refer yourself to our friend Doct Geo Logan, who equally knows all the parties.
26 vols—small 4to in calf—of a “Genl history (by J Phillips) of Europe contained in the historical & political monthly mercuries from the Revolution of 1688 to 17162—giving an accot of all the Public & private occurrences in every Court &ca &ca—with Political Reflections upon every State—Done from the originals published at the Hague”— These might be had for about 2½ Ds ⅌ vol—
[Perpendicularly in left margin next to preceding paragraph:] very good preservation—
14 vols Universal magze 1786 to 1792—about 2 Drs3
10 vols of the Repertory of the Arts 8vo—about 2½ Drs
Lahontans voyages to No Amca 2 vols—very ancient—
Caesars Commentaries & reflections by C Edmonds—do—folio—
Huets Commerce of the Ancients—Defence of Emigrants—
Hoopers Recreations—Easton on Longevity—
Ayeen Akbery or Institutes of Emperor Akber
Nobles memoirs of Cromwell—
many old vols of news Papers—
& many Political, works & national histories—
J F Watson—
Received Oct. 22. 1816 from Thos Jefferson Esqre (⅌ mail) Ten dollars being full payment for the 11th to 14th vols of the Edinburgh Review
J F Watson—
RC (DLC: TJ Papers, 208:37130); date of letter conjectured from that of conjoined receipt and TJ’s endorsement; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esqre Monticello Va”; franked; postmarked Philadelphia, 29 Oct.; endorsed by TJ as a letter of 22 Oct. 1816 received 21 Nov. 1816 and so recorded in SJL.
The Philadelphia merchant Benjamin Davies was an early member of the American philosophical society and its predecessors (Whitfield J. Bell Jr., Patriot-Improvers: Biographical Sketches of Members of the American Philosophical Society [1997– ], 1:306–7).
1. Reworked from “Davies.”
2. Reworked from “1715.”
3. Reworked from “about 2 to 2½ Ds.”
Index Entries
- Akbar, emperor of India; Ayeen Akbery: or, the institutes of the Emperor Akber search
- American Philosophical Society; members of search
- Ayeen Akbery: or, the institutes of the Emperor Akber (Akbar) search
- books; on history search
- books; on natural philosophy search
- books; on politics search
- Caesar, Julius; The Commentaries of C. Julius Cæsar (C. Edmondes) search
- Davies, Benjamin; estate of search
- Easton, James; Human Longevity search
- Edinburgh Review; and J. F. Watson search
- Edinburgh Review; TJ subscribes to search
- Edmondes, Clement; The Commentaries of C. Julius Cæsar search
- health; works on search
- Hooper, William; Rational Recreations search
- Huet, Pierre Daniel; The History of the Commerce and Navigation of the Ancients search
- Human Longevity (J. Easton) search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; subscriptions search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; account with J. F. Watson search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Family & Friends; friendship with G. Logan search
- Lahontan, Louis Armand de Lom d’Arce, baron de; New Voyages to North-America search
- law; books on search
- Logan, George; friendship with TJ search
- Memoirs of the Protectorate-House of Cromwell (M. Noble) search
- natural philosophy; study of search
- New Voyages to North-America (Lahontan) search
- Noble, Mark; Memoirs of the Protectorate-House of Cromwell search
- Phillips, John; The General History of Europe, contained in the Historical and Political Monthly Mercuries search
- Rational Recreations (W. Hooper) search
- subscriptions, for publications; journals search
- The Commentaries of C. Julius Cæsar (C. Edmondes) search
- The General History of Europe, contained in the Historical and Political Monthly Mercuries (J. Phillips) search
- The History of the Commerce and Navigation of the Ancients (P. D. Huet) search
- The Repertory of Arts and Manufactures search
- The Universal Magazine search
- Watson, John Fanning; as bookseller search
- Watson, John Fanning; letters from search
- Watson, John Fanning; payments to search