To Thomas Jefferson from Philippe Reibelt, 13 December 1804
From Philippe Reibelt
Baltimore, le 13e. Dece. 1804
Monsieur le President!
Le dernier Exemplaire, qui me restoit, des Plans des Maisons de Paris—n’a certainement pú être mieux placès que dans Votre bibliothéque.
Je n’en ai plus, mais j’en attends et j’aurois l’honneur de Vous en envoÿer 2 Exempl. aussitot, que je les aurai recûs.
J’ai encore un Exemplaire de l’histoire naturelle de la Montagne de S. Pierre & par Faujas &c.—N’en pourriez Vous pas en disposer?
Je suis très respectueusement Votre Excellence Tr. hble. et tr. Obst str
Reibelt
Editors’ Translation
Baltimore, 13 Dec. 1804
Mister President!
My last copy of the Plans des maisons de Paris could not have found a better home than in your library.
I do not have any others, but I await some and would be pleased to send you two more as soon as I have received them.
I still have one copy of the Histoire naturelle de la montagne de Saint-Pierre by Faujas. Would it not be useful to you?
With deep respect, your excellency, I am your very humble and obedient servant.
Reibelt
RC (DLC); in dateline: “Libraire de Levrault, Schoell et Comp. a Paris”; endorsed by TJ as received 14 Dec. and so recorded in SJL.
Although no response has been found or was recorded in SJL, presumably TJ informed Reibelt that he would be purchasing a book of architectural plans and elevations of buildings in Paris, which Reibelt had asked to be returned to him. He may have also informed Reibelt that he already had a copy of Essai de géologie by Barthélemy Faujas de Saint-Fond, which had appeared on the list of books enclosed in Reibelt’s letter of 13 Nov. (Reibelt to TJ, 10 Dec.; TJ to Reibelt, 24 Dec.).