Edward L. Pierce, Memoir and letters of Charles Sumner: volume 2

[17]

To Dr. Francis Lieber, Columbia, S. C.

London, Nov. 16, 1838.

my dear Lieber,—. . . I arrived in London on Sunday. On Monday evening I submitted your book¹ to Colburn, and he declined it. I had spoken to Clark in Edinburgh, who published Story's ‘Conflict of Laws,’ but he also declined. From Colburn I went to Maxwell,—an intelligent and enterprising law-publisher, whom I knew very well, and who had just published Story's ‘Equity Pleadings’ at my suggestion. He took your book, examined it, and declined it. But he was kind enough to put it into the hands of another publisher, who is not exactly in the law trade, and with whom I have concluded arrangements for the publication of both volumes of your work,—Mr. William Smith, of Fleet Street, an intelligent, gentlemanly person of about thirty-five years, whose appearance I like very much, more than that of Colburn or Longman. It will appear at Christmas (an edition of five hundred copies) in very good style. . . . On the publication of the English edition I will send a copy to Mr. Empson, the successor of Sir James Mackintosh as Professor of Law, whom I know, and who writes the juridical articles in the ‘Edinburgh,’ asking his acceptance of it, and stating that it is a work in which I have great confidence, and that I should be well pleased to see it reviewed in the ‘Edinburgh.’ I will do the same with Hayward, who writes the juridical articles in the ‘Quarterly,’ besides editing the ‘Law Magazine,’ and whom I know intimately. Perhaps I will send a copy to Lockhart, whom I have met several times. I will dispose of several other copies in the same manner,—one to a leading writer in the ‘London and Foreign Review.’² The copy which you sent me has been out of my hands so much since I received it, that I have only found time to glance at it. It is very finely executed, and reads admirably. I still hold to the high opinion I have always expressed with regard to it, and to the highest expectations for your fame. I have authorized the publisher to omit on the title-page the phrase, ‘for the use of colleges and schools;’ that limits the object of the book too much. I hope you will believe that I have done my best for you. On Jan. 1 I leave England for Germany. . . . How are politics? You have been in Boston among my friends: what say you now to my trip to Europe? Shall I be injured by it? Give me one of your long, closely-written letters.

Ever yours,

Charles Sumner.

P. S. One of my friends, Joseph Parkes, has bought and is reading a copy of your book. I will give a copy to the editors of the ‘Spectator’ and ‘Globe.’