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ED; E762| 56
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[To William Hayley]
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[22 January 1805]
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Dear Sir,
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I hope this letter will outstrip Mr. Phillips', as I sit
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down to write immediately on returning from his house. He says
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he is agreeable to every proposal you have made, and will himself
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immediately reply to you. I should have supposed him mad if he
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had not: for such clear and generous proposals as yours to him he
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will not easily meet from anyone else. He will, of course,
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inform you what his sentiments are of the proposal concerning the
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three dramas. I found it unnecessary to mention anything
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relating to the purposed application of the profits, as he, on
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reading your letter, expressed his wish that you should yourself
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set a price, and that he would, in his letter to you, explain his
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reasons for wishing it. The idea of publishing one volume a year
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he considers as impolitic, and that a handsome general edition of
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your works would be more productive. He likewise objects to any
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periodical mode of publishing any of your works, as he thinks it
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somewhat derogatory, as well as unprofitable. I must now express
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my thanks for your generous manner of
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proposing the Ballads to him on my account, and inform
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you of his advice concerning them; and he thinks that they should
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be published all together in a volume the size of the
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small edition of the Triumphs of Temper, with six or
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seven plates. That one thousand copies should be the first
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edition, and, if we choose, we might add to the number of plates
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in a second edition. And he will go equal shares with me in the
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expense and the profits, and that Seagrave is to be the printer.
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That we must consider all that has been printed as lost, and
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begin anew, unless we can apply some of the plates to the new
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edition. I consider myself as only put in trust with this work,
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and that the copyright is for ever yours. I therefore beg that
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you will not suffer it to be injured by my ignorance, or that it
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should in any way be separated from the grand bulk of your
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literary property. Truly proud I am to be in possession of this
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beautiful little estate; for that it will be highly productive I
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have no doubt, in the way now proposed; and I shall consider
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myself a robber to retain more than you at any time please to
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grant. In short, I am tenant at will, and may write over my
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door, as the poor barber did, "Money for live here."
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I entreat your immediate advice what I am to do, for I would
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not for the world injure this beautiful work, and cannot answer
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P.'s proposal till I have your directions and commands concerning
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it; for he wishes to set about it immediately, and has desired
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that I will give him my proposal concerning it in writing.
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I remain, dear Sir,
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Your obliged and affectionate
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WILL BLAKE
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[From the Gilchrist Life]
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