Nicolas G. Dufief to Thomas Jefferson, 25 August 1815
From Nicolas G. Dufief
A Philadelphie ce 25 Août. 1815
Monsieur,
J’ai remis, il y a plusieurs Jours à Mr Tom, allant à Fredericksburg, un paquet adressé pour vous d’après vos ordres à Mr Gray, & contenant le cours de la Croix, en 7 vols 8vo. J’espère que vous ne tarderez pas à le recevoir. Je vous envoye par le Courrier de ce matin “Adam’s astronomical & Geographical essays” on ne trouve chez aucun libraire de Philade “The Graphical essays” Je pourrai, peut être, dans quelques jours vous en procurer un exemplaire de rencontre. J’ai un livre du même auteur intitulé “An essay on electricity explaining the principles of that useful Science and describing the instruments &ca The 5th Edition with corrections & additions by Jones.”1 cet ouvrage vous convient-il?
A l’égard des métamorphoses d’Ovide, je regrette beaucoup de m’être défait d’un exemplaire de l’Edition que vous désiriez, quelques jours avant que de recevoir votre lettre. Je vous adresserai la Semaine prochaine, un ovide complet d’une édition qui je crois répondra à vos vues, à la charge, toutefois, de le reprendre, Si je me trompais. Je vous envoie, puisque vous le demandez notre compte courant
Agreez, je vous prie, les voeux que je fais pour votre Santé & les assurances du profond respect avec lequel Je Suis
N. G. Dufief
Editors’ Translation
Philadelphia 25 August. 1815
Sir,
Several days ago I delivered to Mr. Tom, who was going to Fredericksburg, a package for you addressed, according to your orders, to Mr. Gray, and containing the Cours de Mathematiques à l’usage de l’École Centrale des Quatres-Nations by Lacroix, in 7 octavo volumes. I hope you will receive it soon. I send you by this morning’s mail “Adams’s astronomical & Geographical essays.” “The Graphical essays” cannot be found in any Philadelphia bookstore. In a few days I may be able to procure a copy for you. I have a book by the same author entitled “An essay on electricity explaining the principles of that useful Science and describing the instruments &ca The 5th Edition with corrections & additions by Jones.” Does this book suit you?
Regarding Ovid’s Metamorphoses, I am very sorry that I parted with a copy of the edition you wanted a few days before receiving your letter. Next week I will send you a complete edition of Ovid that I think will meet your needs, with the proviso, however, that I will take it back if I am mistaken.
I send you, according to your request, our current account
Please accept my wishes for your health and the assurances of the profound respect with which I am
N. G. Dufief
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 3 Oct. 1815 and so recorded in SJL. RC (Mrs. T. Wilber Chelf, Mrs. Virginius Dabney, and Mrs. Alexander W. Parker, Richmond, 1944; photocopy in ViU: TJP); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to Patrick Gibson, 20 Oct. 1815, on verso; addressed, in a clerk’s hand: “Thomas Jefferson Esqr Monticello Virginia”; franked; postmarked Philadelphia, 25 Aug. Translation by Dr. Genevieve Moene.
1. Omitted closing quotation mark editorially supplied.
Index Entries
- Adams, George; An Essay on Electricity … with corrections and additions, by William Jones search
- Adams, George; Astronomical and Geographical Essays … and also An Introduction to Practical Astronomy search
- Adams, George; Geometrical and Graphical Essays search
- An Essay on Electricity … with corrections and additions, by William Jones (G. Adams) search
- Astronomical and Geographical Essays … and also An Introduction to Practical Astronomy (G. Adams) search
- astronomy; books on search
- books; on astronomy search
- books; on electricity search
- books; on mathematics search
- books; sent by N. G. Dufief search
- Cours de Mathematiques à l’usage de l’École Centrale des Quatres-Nations (S. F. Lacroix) search
- Dufief, Nicolas Gouin; account with TJ search
- Dufief, Nicolas Gouin; letters from search
- Dufief, Nicolas Gouin; TJ orders books from search
- electricity; books on search
- French language; letters in, from; N. G. Dufief search
- Geometrical and Graphical Essays (G. Adams) search
- Gray, William Fairfax; and transmission of packages to and from TJ search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; orders books search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; packing and shipping of search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Business & Financial Affairs; account with N. G. Dufief search
- Jones, William (ca.1762–1831); An Essay on Electricity … with corrections and additions, by William Jones (G. Adams) search
- Lacroix, Sylvestre François; Cours de Mathematiques à l’usage de l’École Centrale des Quatres-Nations search
- mathematics; books on search
- Metamorphoses (Ovid); J. Minellius’s notes on search
- Minellius, John; annotates Ovid’s Metamorphoses search
- Ovid; Metamorphoses search
- Tom, Mr.; and package for TJ search