To Thomas Jefferson from Nicolas Gouin Dufief, 28 January 1804
From Nicolas Gouin Dufief
à Philadelphie ce 28 de Janvier. 1804
Monsieur,
Mr Bocquet, artiste de mérite & auteur d’un plan interessant de la Capitale du pays de nos nouveaux frères, s’est chargé de vous remettre lui même la présente, & un paquet qui contient les livres que vous m’avez demandés—
J’aurais bien désiré pouvoir vous adresser une édition du nouveau testament en Anglais, aussi Jolie que l’édition Grèque & latine de Londres, mais telle qu’elle est, elle vaut beaucoup mieux que l’édition Américaine de Boston—
Je finis en faisant les vœux les plus ardens pour que l’année qui Commence soit pour vous une Suite non Interrompue d’événemens heureux, & en vous priant d’agréer avec votre bonté ordinaire mes Sentimens inébranlables d’estime, de respect, & de réconnaissance
N. G. Dufief
Le prix des livres est Comme Suit
| 2 exempl. du Testamt. | G. & L. | 5. D | |
| 2 D | Angl. | 1 25 | |
| 6.25 |
Editors’ Translation
Philadelphia, 28 Jan. 1804
Sir,
Mr Bocquet, a talented artist and author of an interesting map of the capital of our new brothers’ country, volunteered to give you this letter, along with a package containing the books you requested.
I would have liked to be able to send you an English edition of the New Testament as attractive as the Greek and Latin edition from London, but this one, such as it is, is still much better than the American edition from Boston.
I conclude by extending my most fervent wishes that your new year be a continual series of happy events, and asking you to accept, with your characteristic kindness, my unwavering sentiments of admiration, respect and gratitude.
N. G. Dufief
The books are priced as follows:
| 2 copies of the New Testament in Greek and Latin | 5.00 dollars | ||
| 2 copies in English | 1.25 | ||
| 6.25 | |||
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “Le Président des Etats-Unis”; endorsed by TJ as received 4 Feb. and so recorded in SJL.
mr bocquet: undoubtedly the artist and designer whose work “A View of New Orleans Taken from the Plantation of Marigny” was hung in the dining room at Monticello. At this time, he was identified most often as John L. Boqueta (or Boquet) de Woiseri, the name that appeared in advertisements for engraved versions of the above-named painting and of his plan interessant of New Orleans. While in Washington, Boqueta received TJ’s permission to dedicate the engravings to the president and also convinced the Senate to subscribe for an engraving of the plan, which was to be hung in the Senate Chamber (Philadelphia Aurora, 23 Feb. 1804; New-York Commercial Advertiser, 17 Apr. 1804; New York Daily Advertiser, 7 Mch. 1805; , 3:355; Vol. 41:illustration).
The editions of the nouveau testament en anglais were King James Version texts printed in Dublin in 1791 and 1799. Evidence indicates that TJ cut passages from both editions in compiling “The Philosophy of Jesus,” the original of which has been lost (, 45-6).