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BL Add. MS 28268, ff. 74–77. Extract in Suffolk Record Office, Bury St. Edmunds, 317/3, ff. 43–44; published in Hart, p. 18
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With ink from the India-House and good pen, I set about informing
you of some of the many particulars that have ocupied my whole attention lately.
I have written largely to Mr. Lofft
since our last communication, and hope that all will go on smooth yet: he still
insists on my leaving out all mention of him in the preface of the large copies;
and I (though I dare not tell him so) as certainly mean to disobey the order.
Mr. Lofft accuses me of want of
firmness. I have had to exert my firmness in a matter and in a manner which with
him cannot procure me credit because he is not likely to know it. In this sixth
edition of the Farmer’s Boy a plan was laid by Mr ___, principaly, and by Mr Hood, to strike out some matters
from the Appendix. this task was undertaken, with a considerable degree of
vanity, by Mr ___, who himself, in a copy of Giles markd out a great deal of
matter which certainly have been much disapproved; I mean the political notes of
Mr Lofft, and what he introduced
relative to his dismissal from office; but he did not strike out the high
compliment paid by Mr L to himself,
though he did the whole of what was written by Swan as to my manner of composition.
All this was bold assumption on the part of Mr ___ and I disliked it. At that
moment I stood so with Mr. L, that
had I permitted it to go on, the blame would have fallen on me, and not on them. Mr. Lofft would have said (perhaps
publickly) that I had not only offended in relation to the new Vollm but had
most ungratefully set him aside in the original publication. In this situation I
had to act, not merely to wish my
part. the consequence was weighty; and I had never tried my power before. I
wrote on Friday to Mr Hood, stating
that any omission now, as my correspondence stood with Mr L, would involve me in censures,
which however innocent I might be, would stick to my publick character and damn
my reputation; adding that the ensuing Edition by Swan should be a copy of the last
Edition, &c. I mentiond nothing about money, but you see his answer
(inclosed) mentions it; and is in all points highly satisfactory. The 5th and
6th edition of Giles comprize together 10,000 copies, the new work 7,000, so
that I have at any rate to share the profits of 17,000 books, for which (at full
price) the publick, if they are goodnaturd enough to buy them, will pay no less
than £36,025! I have felt sad, and uncommon trouble of mind; and I doubt it is
not over yet. I am writing a fair copy of the Farmer’s Boy exactly as you saw it
in MS., and marking the alterations made by Mr Lofft; and adding notes of information, &c., this I do
that as I have not the original, something in my own hand
may be found hereafter, and I do it too to improve my handwriting: I shall have
it bound carefully.
I send you my story of ‘Imagination’
I think the last money you had of me was out of a Bill for £27 —
odd — of which you returnd about £17, to my Wife while I was at Towcester. but how much tis all
together I do not pretend to know. perhaps £30 or more. If I had ever had it in
my power to advance that sum in a lump it might have done you good. What must
the Quaker be paid just at Christmas?? Tell him to Dunn some of your Customers,
and mind, if, as Christmas is so near and my mony melts here with a Wife and 4
of them, if you find that your own £90 cannot be brought forward to meet this 20
of the Quakers, don’t do nothing rashly in it, I by no means despair of helping
you again. My partner is so interested in your success since poor Isaac faild; that her
consent will not be wanting. I loose much time in going to the printers dayly. I
can do but little work if my mind was happy enugh to try. My present amusement
is writing a Child’s Book ‘the History of Little Davy’s new hat,’ dedicated to
my Mother, but have sent
Isaac the remaining
profit on Rosy Hannah, I hope it will come seasonably.
My determination to becoming somthing or other to procure a
permanent income, somtimes wavers; my prospect is so good that I doubt the
propriety of asking any thing at all. I have no objection
to shoemaking, but though I now use it allmost as a cloak for I can do nothing
at it; I firmly believe that 2 or three years hence I shall have somwhere or
other several hundred pounds even if I live upon the Books entirely; and perhaps
if the edge of public curiosity should wear off, I may have more uninterrupted
leisure; though by my daily increasing popularity I ought not to reason so. I
try to select my acquaintance, and there is need of it. You can hardly judge how
great a difference there is to be found even amongst professd admirers of me and
my Tales. Pedants who dive and peep as a crow would after a
Grubb. Labouring poets, who insist that nothing good was
ever produced without labouring at it, writing and rewriting, and writing over
and over again. Grammaerians who judge more of points and
constructions that of sence and spirit and animation; with a dozen other queer
fellows and characters, who would plague me confoundedly if I was once to begin to mind them. These I keep in the back ground, and
oppose nothing to argument, but fact. When they talk of labour, I produce them Old Kate and her children
I must leave abruptly.
Good night
Monday Night
Yours, enclosing one for Mrs Phillips came this morning. — It is curious that
I only told Mr Lofft that I would
apply to Mr Rogers for a
labourer’s place in the India warehouses, and he directly understood that
Mr Rogers had proposed it, and said as much to the Duke. Mr Rogers dont know one word
about the matter. thus it is I stand at present, and have many doubts as to
the wisdom of seeking it. I must determine for myself and a previous
determination may be affected by fresh circumstances, such as the unbounded
success of the new vollm. —
Read my Mothers and seal and Despatch as usual, I doubt I have set you a task in Mr Lofft’s Budget, Read it if you can —