Thomas Jefferson Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-45-02-0632

To Thomas Jefferson from Philippe Reibelt, 3 March 1805

From Philippe Reibelt

Baltimore le 3 Mars 1805

Monsieur le President!

Je dois supposer dans Vos mains respectables—le paquet renfermant les oeuvres de Corneille, Moliére, Racine, Barthelemy &c parceque, l’expeditionaire du Stage (qui me paroit de quelque Sortes que ce soit, un peu derangè—car c’est le Seul, avec lequel Il faut toujour discuter) n’ayant absolument pas voulû le prendre, j’ai invitè le Directeur de la poste, qui est tres complaisant, de le faire mettre en Son Nom au Stage, ce qu’il m’a promis—c’etoit le 16 fevr.

Je ferais remettre aujourdhui a un paquet de Georgetown un Ouvrage, qui Vous Conviendra probablement pour un jeune homme de Votre famille—Savoir: Abregè des Vies des plus grands hommes de toutes les nations au Nombre de plus de deux Cent et ornèes de leurs portraits—1803—4 Vol. en gr. 12o. de 16 a 1700 pages—a 4 Gourdes.—et le 5me. Volume d’un autre Ouvrage de 25 Vol.—Les Vies des hommes illustres &c avec des belles gravures a 48, Gourdes—que Vous connaissez, mais doubl’ edition (1801) Vous interessera sans doute, et conviendra peutêtre a un Membre de Votre famille.

Je prend la Liberte, de Vous observer a çette occasion, qu’il y a differentes bonnes editions au Magazin—bien reliées, a un prix tres moderè—Savoir: Voltaire—in gr. 8vo. 55 Vol. a 81 G. 58 C. in gr. 12o. 92 Vol. 78 G. 8 C.

Aussi Rousseau—p. E. l’edition de Didot in gr. 12o. avec figures—seulement brochè—37 Vol. a 30 G. et ainsi d’autres Classiques francais—Raynal, Mably, Condillac &c.

Daignez agréer mes profonds respects.

Reibelt

Editors’ Translation

Baltimore, 3 Mch. 1805

Mister President!

I assume you have now received the package containing the works of Corneille, Molière, Racine, Barthélemy, etc. Because the dispatcher of the coach (who strikes me as slightly disturbed, since he is the only one I always have to negotiate with) was absolutely unwilling to take it, I asked the director of the post office, who is very helpful, to place it in the coach in his name, and he promised to do so. That was on 16 Feb.

I will have a package from Georgetown delivered to you today with a work that will undoubtedly suit you for a young man in your family. It is the Abregé des Vies des plus grands hommes de toutes les nations, more than 200 of them, illustrated with their portraits; 1803, 4 volumes in large duodecimo, 1600-1700 pages, for $4. You will also find the fifth volume of another 25-volume work: Les Vies des hommes illustres, with beautiful engravings for $48. You are familiar with it, but this 1801 edition will surely be of interest and may suit a member of your family.

I also take the liberty of pointing out that there are various good editions in the store, beautifully bound and moderately priced, notably: Voltaire, in large octavo, 55 volumes for $81.58 in large duodecimo, 92 volumes for $78.08. There is also Rousseau, for example the Didot edition in large duodecimo, soft cover, 37 volumes for $30, as well as other French classics: Raynal, Mably, Condillac, etc.

Please accept my deep respect.

Reibelt

RC (DLC); above signature: “Le Depot Americ. General de Levrault, Schoell et Comp. Impr. Libraires a Paris”; endorsed by TJ as received 6 Mch. and so recorded in SJL.

jeune homme: Reibelt, relying on TJ’s recent purchases of books for younger readers, was sending the illustrated four-volume compilation Le Plutarque de la jeunesse, ou Abrégé des vies des plus grands hommes de toutes les nations, depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu’a nos jours. He was also sending a volume from a recent edition of the Oeuvres of Plutarch, based on a sixteenth-century French translation (William Fleischer, Annuaire de la librairie [Paris, 1802], 94-5; Frédéric Schoell, Répertoire de littérature ancienne, ou Choix d’auteurs classiques grecs et latins, d’ouvrages de critique, d’archéologie, d’antiquités, de mythologie, d’histoire et de géographie anciennes, imprimés en France et en Allemagne [Paris, 1808], 345-6).

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