To Thomas Jefferson from Philippe Reibelt, 3 May 1805
From Philippe Reibelt
Balt. le 3 Mai 1805.
Monsieur le President!
J’ai l’honneur, de repondre a votre Lettre de hier, que j’ecrirais incessament a la Maison a Paris pour l’Ouvrage de Buffon, tel, que Vous le desirez; je Vous prie seulement, de vouloir bien indiquer a çet effet par le premier Courier le Genre de reliure, dans lequel est mis le Commencement, que Vous avez, afin, que çela devienne egal.
Presumant, qu’il Vous fera plaisir, de parcourir les deux petits Livres cijoints—particulierement, celui relié—si toutefois Vous ne l’avez pas encore lû, j’ose Vous les presenter ad statum legendi.
Je Vous prie, d’accepter mes hommages.
Reibelt
Editors’ Translation
Baltimore, 3 May 1805
Mister President!
I have the honor of replying to yesterday’s letter. I shall write to the Paris office immediately to order Buffon’s work, as you request. I ask only that you let me know by the first messenger what kind of binding you have for the first part so the rest will match.
Assuming that you would enjoy looking over the two enclosed books, especially the bound volume, if by chance you have not already read it, I take the liberty of proposing them to you ad statum legendi.
Please accept my regards.
Reibelt
RC (DLC); above signature: “Le Depot de Levrault, Schoell et Comp”; endorsed by TJ as received 4 May and so recorded in SJL. Enclosures (see List of Books Purchased from Philippe Reibelt, at 26 June): (1) Armand Gaston Camus, Histoire et procédés du polytypage et du stéréotypage (Paris, 1802); see No. 1136. (2) Jérémie Jacques Oberlin, Essai d’annales de la vie de Jean Gutenberg (Strasbourg, 1801).
ad statum legendi: that is, for reading.