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

[264]

To Thomas Crawford, Rome.

July 16, 1843.

my dear Crawford,—The moments pass, and I can only say that Allston is dead. He died suddenly, having passed a very happy evening; and suddenly, at twelve o'clock at night, was snatched away to Heaven. I have just started a subscription for a monument,¹ and hope to raise two thousand or twenty-five hundred dollars. I suppose there will be a general disposition to consult Greenough about this; he was the friend of Allston. I showed Allston your letter to me. He had always taken a very warm interest in your success.

There are serious difficulties in the way of a proper place for the ‘Orpheus,’ but I shall do as well as I can for you. Dixwell is my friend. There will be a disposition to do every thing that can be done. Count upon this. In the May number of the ‘Democratic Review’ I wrote an account of you and of Orpheus, to accompany a very good sketch of the ‘Orpheus.’

Ever yours,

Charles Sumner.

To Dr. Lieber he wrote, July 17, 1843:—

I am happy that you and I agree about Mackenzie. It is an encouragement to believe that one is right, when another at a distance, revolving in his mind the same thing, arrives at the same result. I sent you my article in the July number of the “North American Review,” on the mutiny of the “ Somers.” You will see that I take a different line of argument from that adopted (injudiciously, I think) by Mackenzie's counsel. Mr. Jeremiah Mason and Judge Story tell me that mine is the only tenable one. When shall we see you?

To Lord Morpeth he wrote, July 30, 1843:—

You will be glad to know that two volumes of the “History of the conquest” are already printed. The work will be published in the autumn by the Harpers. They offered him fifteen thousand dollars for the copyright, but wisely he refused to part with it. He has sold them the privilege of printing five thousand copies during one year for seventy-five hundred dollars. Few authors of historical works have met with Prescott's success with the trade. He has written without the most remote idea of profit; but fortune has descended upon his crest. Bancroft is earnestly engaged upon the “History of the American Revolution.” I anticipate from him a very brilliant and powerful tableau. He will present at once the principle and the poetry of that event. The “North American” for July contains a dainty page by Hillard on classical studies. Young John Jay has made a short visit in Boston. We liked him very much.