Rev A Brandram No.19
Madrid 29th May 1848
My Dear Friend,
Your letter of the 18th came to hand the day after I sent off mine of the 23rd and forms in some things an answer to it. I was glad to read it your good hopes on seeing Mr. Miller, but when I read further on, that he would write to General Saunders on the subject, I saw all our hopes vanish. And so it has turned out. Mr. Miller wrote to General Saunders, and his letter is before me. He says the Spanish Consul refuses to let the Books come till General Saunders gets and sends him an order from the government here. In my letter of the 24th ultimo I stated that General Saunders could not at present with propriety apply for such an order. And now things are worse in regard to such an application than before, for General Saunders is nearly out and at loggerheads with the Foreign Secretary, in consequence of neglect he has just met with in regard to leave of access to Louisiana documents, in the Archives here for which the American government has applied to aid in the history of the country.
The best thing therefore that can now be done is to send the six cases at once to Bayonne instead of the supply for that place mentioned in my last. A seventh case may be added, containing the books which Mr Knolleke has lately purchased, and say 20 or 30 Latin & Spanish Bibles interleaved, bound in one volume.
To Toulouse, besides what I mentioned, please to send the same number of Latin & Spanish Bibles, and say 200 Catalonian Testaments. Be so good as to send there also the best map of Spain you can find, in canvas and case, and Murray's Hand Book of France and the Pyrenees.
You will see what I have said about seizing the opportunity of a new Ambassador coming here to get sent with him a good supply for us in Madrid. You can show him the document you have on the privileges he enjoys of bringing articles duty free, and even those prohibited in the tariff. I hope no squeamishness about seeking aid from Authorities will hinder you from availing yourselves of such a personage, as this seems now to be our – derniere resource.
I observe what you say about the Hebrew Bibles being in 12mo and not 8vo. I hope the letter or type is not smaller than in the specimen sent from Gibraltar, and the object in sending it was to show the size of the page, and the size of the type. The 12mo size was wished for, but not with a less type than in the specimen. Please send in the seventh case to Bayonne 10 of these Bibles bound in one volume each. These may sell in the Universities here, in all of which there is a Hebrew chair.
In regard to Mogador, would you allow me to re-request you to send, either the supply mentioned, or a smaller one, if you so prefer. It is a pity to lose this seeming opening there beyond what appears in Tangier and Tetuan, first, because of the robberies and scarcity mentioned, and secondly, because of it being a place of greater trade with the interior. The Books are much more likely to sell there, (and they should be sold) than in the North.
The Acts in Basque is finished, and the printing of Luke in that tongue nearly so. The translator informs me that reading is pretty general in the Basque provinces.
There is some glimmering of hope before us as to the future entrance of Books, as efforts are being made to procure a change in the law to permit the entrance of Books printed abroad in Spanish, that have no copy right, and this is the case with Scio's Bible. In that case we would have to bind here. It was tried to include bound books in this projected permission, but an entire negative was put upon that proposition.
I am, My Dear Friend
Truly Yours,
James Thomson.
P.S. My new position has necessarily led me to make a new Will, which I enclose, and beg that Mr. Hitchin may preserve it carefully put up, and as it is, sealed.