Philippe Reibelt to Thomas Jefferson, 22 October 1805
From Philippe Reibelt
Baltimore le 22e Oct. 1805.
Monsieur!
J’ai eû l’honneur, de recevoir hier Soir Votre Lettre du 19.
Je Vous presente mes remercimens les plus respectueux de la bontè, dont Vous avez accueilli mes demandes relat. aux Notes sur la Virginie, au dessein de votre charmant Phaëton, et a une Copie de votre Lettre a l’institut de France. Je me rappelle encore, que Mr. de Lapoype m’a dit, que Vous aviez dans çette Lettre traitè la possibilitè d’une paix eternelle &c. mais il paroit, qu’il s’est trompè.
Je me propose d’envoyer ce dessein a l’editeur d’un Journal des Arts et Metiers a Leipsic, qui y donne les inventions les plus curieuses.
C’est une grande Satisfaction pour Moi, que Vous trouvez l’aimant digne de votre Cabinet. Je devois bien le supposer tel, sans quoi je n’aurois pas osè, de Vous l’offrir.
Je ne parlerais donc plus des Perroquets; Mais quant au buste, Vous me permetterez de Vous observer, que je serais compromis vis a vis de Mr. Schwarze, si Vous refusez de le prende au prix de 25 G.—Il pourroit Supposer, que je n’avois pas les ordres de Vous de l’acheter, ou, qui j’y ai commis quelque autre faute. Je Vous prierais donc tres instamment de le garder, au Moins pour avoir, comme Vous me disiez, un pendant (j’ajoute quoique contradictoire) de l’Empereur Alexandre, d’autant plus, que les Caisses, qui contiennent les Morceaux de cette Majestè impetueuse doivent deja etre presque arriveès a Milton avec Son paisible Compagnion de Voyage de Bengale.
Parkyns est a votre disposition jusqu’a çe que je pourrois Vous en presenter un Exemplaire en Anglais.
Je n’ai plus d’exemplaire de Say—Economie politique—c’est pourquoi je Vous ai prié, de me preter pour le Profess. Girardin Votre Exempl. et que je prends la Libertè de Vous repeter cette instance.
Je n’ai plus la traduction d’Aristotel—Hist. d. Anim. p. Camus. Je n’ai en general plus des Livres—mais j’ai—d’apres ma Lettre de çe printems—droit d’attendre un transport exquis par un des premiers batimens, qui arriveront de Bordeaux, s’ils ont voulûs l’en charger. Quant a Moi, je desire, qu’il ne m’en parvienne pas du tout, et cela pourroit aussi etre le Cas, si ma reponse a cette Lettre du printems est arrivèe a Paris avant le depart de ce transport anoncè—Mais cela ne m’empechera pas de Vous procurer tous les Livres, que Vous desirerez d’avoir—au prix de Paris et aux fraix d’importation seulement, et je me flatte, que (non pas en Qualitè de Marchand, mais en qualitè d’ancien republicain) Vous ne me refuserez pas le plaisir désinteressè, de Vous fournir Vos Livres francais preferablement a tout autre.
J’ai parcourûs tous les Repertoires et Dictionaires de Litterature, et je n’ai nul part trouvè une bonne traduction francaise de Plinius hist. naturel.—J’ecrirais neanmoins pour l’un et l’autre ouvrage par la premiere occasion a Paris.
Serez Vous curieux de voir un bon petit portrait de Pierre le 1er.? Il est en forme octave, je pourrois Vous l’envoyer dans une Couverte de Lettres. Il y est dans tout son Costume simple et quarrè.
Je Vous prie, d’agreer les hommages les plus purs et sincères, qu’un Republicain puisse Vous offrir.
Reibelt.
C’est a l’instant, que le facteur me remet Vos ordres du 21. Il n’y a pas d’autre edition de Mich. hist. des Chenes &c. que celle, que Vous avez vû. La Maison: Levrault, Schoell et Comp. en est l’editeur et proprietaire—je n’en ai plus, mais—sans doute, que le premier transport m’en apportera—si jamais j’aurois des Livres, j’en aurois certainement plus. exemplaires—et je ne manquerais alors pas, de Vous en representer un.
Je suis—dont je suis etonnè—sans Nouvelles de Mr. Randolph au sujet de Penn Park.
Editors’ Translation
Baltimore, 22 Oct. 1805
Sir!
Yesterday evening I had the honor of receiving your letter of the 19th.
I offer my most respectful thanks for the graciousness with which you acceded to my request concerning Notes on the State of Virginia, the drawing of your charming phaeton, and the copy of your letter to the Institute of France. I remember Mr. La Poype telling me that you raised the possibility in this letter of lasting peace, etc., but he seems to be mistaken.
I propose to send the drawing to the editor of an arts and trades journal in Leipzig that introduces the most interesting inventions.
It is a great satisfaction for me that you find the magnet worthy of your collection. I supposed so or I would not have presumed to give it to you.
I will not mention the parrots again, but concerning the bust, allow me to observe that I would be compromised vis-à-vis Mr. Schwarze if you refused to buy it for $25. He might conclude that I did not have your authorization to purchase it or that I committed some other fault. I urgently beg you to keep it, if only, as you said, to have a counterpart (albeit contradictory, I would add) to Emperor Alexander, and not least because the cases containing the pieces of this impetuous majesty and his peaceful traveling companion from Bengal must be close to arriving in Milton.
The Parkyns is at your disposal until I can find you a copy in English.
I have no more copies of Say’s work on political economy, which is why I asked you to lend me yours for Professor Girardin. I take the liberty of renewing my request.
I no longer have Camus’s translation of Aristotle’s History of Animals. In general, I have no more books, but as I mentioned in my letter last spring, I am expecting an outstanding shipment on one of the next boats from Bordeaux, if they were willing to take it. I myself would prefer that the shipment not arrive, which could happen if my reply to the spring letter arrived in Paris before the planned shipment. But that will not prevent me from procuring all the books you wish at the same prices as in Paris plus shipping. I flatter myself to believe (not as a bookseller but as a longtime republican) that you will not refuse me the disinterested pleasure of allowing me, rather than anyone else, to furnish your French books.
I have consulted all the literary catalogs and compendia without finding any good French translation of Pliny’s Natural History. I will nevertheless ask the Paris office for both works at my next opportunity.
Would you be curious to see a fine small portrait of Peter the First? It is an octagonal portrait. I could send it to you wrapped in letters. He is in his simple and square dress.
I beg you to accept the purest and most sincere regards a republican can offer you.
Reibelt
Your orders from the 21st were just delivered. I have no other edition of Michaux’s Histoire des chênes, etc., than the one you saw. Levrault, Schoell and Co. is the publisher and owner. I do not have it in stock, but it will undoubtedly come in the next shipment. If I do receive books, I will surely have several copies and will not fail to give you one.
I am surprised not to have news from Mr. Randolph about Pen Park.
RC (DLC); addressed: “A Monsieur Jefferson, President des Etats Unis à Federal City”; franked; postmarked 23 Oct.; endorsed by TJ as received 23 Oct. and so recorded in SJL.
d’envoyer ce dessein: Reibelt enclosed TJ’s phaeton design in a letter of 15 Jan. 1806 to an unknown recipient, presumably the Leipzig editor. Reibelt described the phaeton, constructed mostly of iron at the Monticello workshop, as attractive and lightweight, and explained that the president now used it for all trips when not traveling on horseback. He stressed that the drawings and explanation were by the hand of the president. Reibelt asked that his own name not be mentioned but requested two copies of the journal should the editor publish the design (RC in ViU; in German).
buste: given the reference to its being a counterpart for Alexander I, a bust of whom had recently come to TJ, Reibelt was almost certainly discussing the portrait of Napoleon that became part of Monticello’s collection ( , 225; Vol. 44:196–8; Vol. 46:486, 487).
paisible Compagnion: that is, a Bengali sheep offered to TJ as a gift (Reibelt to TJ, 1 Oct.).