[247] me;1 but, certainly, I have not the least disposition to complain of your decision. On the contrary, if the books were mine, I am persuaded I should not part with them, and for all that you have done in relation to them, and to me, I can only feel gratitude. For your very generous offer of the works of Gregorio Silvestre, I will consider it. But I must not be unreasonable, and if I do not accept it, you may be sure that I am just as thankful for your kindness as if I did. I am much disappointed that my friend Mr. Cogswell has refused the appointment of Secretary of Legation at Madrid; preferring to remain in New York, as librarian of a great library just about to be established there.2 Who will be his successor I do not know, and shall hardly interest myself again to procure the place for anybody. Irving will do all he can to help Prescott and myself, for his kindness may be entirely relied upon; but he was never very active; he is now growing old, and his knowledge of books and bibliography is not at all like Cogswell's. I must, therefore, rely much upon your advice, and shall be very glad to be put in communication with Don Fermin Gonzalo Moron, or any other person in Madrid, bookseller, book-collector, or whatever he may be, that will assist me in obtaining what I want. As you are good enough to ask me for a list of the books and manuscripts I wish to obtain, I enclose one; but what I desire especially to know is, what I can buy, for I very often might purchase books of whose existence I had before no knowledge, as, yesterday, I received from the Canon Riego's library a copy of ‘Damian de Vegas,’ Toledo, 1590, of which I never heard till I found it in his catalogue.
To Don Pascual de Gayangos, Madrid.
Niagara Falls, N. Y., July 24, 1844.my dear Mr. Gayangos,—I have not written to you lately, because I have been absent from home for the last two months, travelling in the interior of Pennsylvania and New York for Mrs. Ticknor's health, which, I am happy to add, is wholly restored by it, so that we are now about to return to Boston. Meantime, I have received your kind letters of April 17 and May 14. I was sorry to
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1 Mr. Gayangos generously lent Mr. Ticknor many volumes from his own library, which were of great service. They came in successive parcels across the ocean, and were returned to him in the same way.
2 Mr. Cogswell remained, at the request of Mr. John Jacob Astor, to organize the library he had promised to found, which was not, however, established for several years.
Boston, J. R. Osgood and company, 1876.
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