Thomas Jefferson Papers
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Thomas Jefferson to Louis H. Girardin, 21 October 1815

To Louis H. Girardin

Monticello Oct. 21. 15.

Dear Sir

Your favor of the 7th has been recieved, and I now send you the letter of mr Page which you requested, and will subjoin to this letter the comparative view of some of Longman’s prices with what Congress paid me for the same books. Longman’s book itself shall go by the same mail—I thank you for your attention to the Microscope. it was well repaired and safely recieved. to your Weekly remembrancer I shall gladly become a subscriber; but I know of nobody here who is likely to contribute any aid of essays Etc. we have good neighbors, but not scientific. I parted, on the Natural bridge, a month ago with mr Correa and F. Gilmer, in good health. they set out on a tour through Tenissee, Georgia Etc and were doubtful whether they would return to Philadelphia by sea or land. the state of France is really deplorable, and I do not see what will be it’s term. that it will have one is certain, and a bloody one to be feared. if they can bear with their sufferings until the allies withdraw and disband their armies, it will be wise. every day of their continuance in France extends the circle of irritation till it will comprehend every individual, and woe be to Louis for whom all this is supposed to be done. they will rise in their strength, find a St Helena for him, and establish a government of rational liberty. so much science, and so much experience cannot be lost. I salute you with great friendship and respect

Th: Jefferson

   London prices    prices paid by Congress
for the same books, in Dollars
   in Sterlg money   in Dollars 
   £   s d    
Catesby’s Nat. hist. 2. v. folio   26– 0–0   115. 44   20.  
Suidas 3. v. folio   21– 0–0   93. 24   30.
Dugdale’s Monasticon 3. v. folio   42– 0–0   186. 48   30.
 
Dugdale’s Baronage 2. v. fol.   21– 0–0   93. 24   20.
Hakluyt’s voyages 3. v. fol.   31–10–0   139. 86   30.
Horseley’s Britannia. 1. v. fol   15–15–0   70.   10.
Rapin with Tindal’s continuation   7. v. fol. 150– 0–0   666.   70.
Milton’s works 3. v. fol 18–18–0   84.   30.
Johnson’s Dictionary 2. v. fol. 8– 8–0   37. 30   12.
Polybius Gr. Lat. 3. v. 8vo 4– 4–0   18. 64   9.
Dionysius Halicarn. Reiskii. 6. v. 8vo 5–10–0   24. 42   18.
Clarendon’s history 6. v. 8vo 5– 5–0   23. 31   18.
    349–10–0     1552. 001     297 

RC (PPAmP: Thomas Jefferson Papers); postscript on verso; addressed: “Mr L. H. Girardin Richmond”; franked; postmarked Milton, 22 Oct.

Girardin’s favor of the 7th, not found, is recorded in SJL as received 17 Oct. 1815 from Richmond. The enclosed letter of mr page may have been John Page to TJ, 11 Nov. 1775, describing skirmishes between British and colonial forces in Norfolk and Hampton late in October 1775 (PTJ description begins Julian P. Boyd, Charles T. Cullen, John Catanzariti, Barbara B. Oberg, and others, eds., The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, 1950– , 38 vols. description ends , 1:256–9). longman’s book was A General Catalogue of Valuable and Rare Old Books, in the Ancient and Modern Languages, and Various Classes of Literature; which are now on sale at the prices affixed to each, by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, & Brown, Paternoster-Row, London, 4 parts (London, 1814).

1. The exact sum is $1,551.93.

Index Entries

  • A Dictionary of the English Language (S. Johnson) search
  • A General Catalogue of Valuable and Rare Old Books, in the Ancient and Modern Languages, and Various Classes of Literature (Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, & Brown [London firm]) search
  • books; price of search
  • Britannia Romana: or the Roman Antiquities of Britain (J. Horsley) search
  • Casaubon, Isaac; translatesἹστοριῶν … Historiarum (Polybius; ed. J. Gronovius) search
  • Catesby, Mark; The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands search
  • Clarendon, Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of; The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641 search
  • Corrêa da Serra, José; travels with TJ search
  • Corrêa da Serra, José; U.S. travels of search
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus; Opera Omnia Graece et Latine (eds. H. Estienne, J. J. Reiske, and others) search
  • Dugdale, Sir William; Monasticon Anglicanum search
  • Dugdale, Sir William; The Baronage of England search
  • Estienne, Henri (Stepani; Stephani); editsOpera Omnia Graece et Latine (Dionysius of Halicarnassus) search
  • France; Bourbon dynasty restored search
  • France; TJ on search
  • Gilmer, Francis Walker; travels with TJ search
  • Gilmer, Francis Walker; U.S. travels of search
  • Girardin, Louis Hue; and J. D. Burk’sHistory of Virginia search
  • Girardin, Louis Hue; and microscope for TJ search
  • Girardin, Louis Hue; editsWeekly Remembrancer search
  • Girardin, Louis Hue; letters from accounted for search
  • Girardin, Louis Hue; letters to search
  • Girardin, Louis Hue; TJ sends books to search
  • Gronovius, Jacob; editsἹστοριῶν… Historiarum (Polybius; trans. I. Casaubon) search
  • Hakluyt, Richard; The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation search
  • Horsley, John; Britannia Romana: or the Roman Antiquities of Britain search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; catalogues from booksellers search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; France search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Opinions on; Louis XVIII search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Travels; to Natural Bridge search
  • Johnson, Samuel; A Dictionary of the English Language search
  • Küster, Ludolph; Σουίδας. Suidæ Lexicon search
  • Library of Congress; payment for TJ’s library search
  • Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown (London firm); A General Catalogue of Valuable and Rare Old Books, in the Ancient and Modern Languages, and Various Classes of Literature search
  • Louis XVIII, king of France; TJ on search
  • microscopes search
  • Milton, John; The Poetical Works search
  • Monasticon Anglicanum (W. Dugdale) search
  • Natural Bridge, Va.; TJ visits search
  • Natural Bridge, Va.; visitors to search
  • newspapers; subscriptions to, by TJ search
  • Opera Omnia Graece et Latine (Dionysius of Halicarnassus; eds. H. Estienne, J. J. Reiske, and others) search
  • Page, John (1743–1808); correspondence of search
  • Polybius; Ἱστοριῶν … Historiarum (trans. I. Casaubon; ed. J. Gronovius) search
  • Rapin Thoyras, Paul de; andThe Continuation of Mr. Rapin’s History of England (N. Tindal) search
  • Reiske, Johann Jacob; editsOpera Omnia Graece et Latine (Dionysius of Halicarnassus) search
  • Revolutionary War; battles of search
  • scientific instruments; microscopes search
  • The Baronage of England (W. Dugdale) search
  • The Continuation of Mr. Rapin’s History of England (N. Tindal) search
  • The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641 (E. Clarendon) search
  • The History of Virginia (J. D. Burk, S. Jones, and L. H. Girardin); sources for search
  • The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands (M. Catesby) search
  • The Poetical Works (J. Milton) search
  • The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation (R. Hakluyt) search
  • Tindal, Nicolas; The Continuation of Mr. Rapin’s History of England search
  • Σουίδας. Suidæ Lexicon (ed. L. Küster) search
  • Ἱστοριῶν … Historiarum (Polybius; trans. I. Casaubon; ed. J. Gronovius) search

You Are Looking At

Source Project
Jefferson Papers
Title
Thomas Jefferson to Louis H. Girardin, 21 October 1815
Author
Jefferson, Thomas
Recipient
Girardin, Louis Hue
Date
21 October 1815

Reference

Cite as
“Thomas Jefferson to Louis H. Girardin, 21 October 1815,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-09-02-0085. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Retirement Series, vol. 9, September 1815 to April 1816, ed. J. Jefferson Looney. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012, pp. 108–109.]

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