16

Chapel Hill Janny 23d 1822

Dear Sir

It is growing late but as I see that I have considerable matter
before me I have taken a large sheet a good part of which at least-
I must fill before I sleep. I have four several subjects on which to write you

1. With regard to the books purchased from the library of Robert Mill-
-ings. I received the kind letter you had the goodness to send me respecting
them and am blameworthy in not having sooner sent you an answer. I have
moreover received the volumes from Mr Manly and they are now at C Hill
You said nothing in your letter respecting the manner in which they were
to be paid for. Mr Manly was under the impression that the money would
be drawn by a warrant from the Treasury. Please inform me whether is it so -
and if not I will either send it to you in Hillsborough or see that it is in-
Raleigh in season to meet the demands of the executors of the estate when it
shall become due. You mentioned your having understood we have already a
copy of Grotius commentary in the library at Chapel Hill and offered to take
it off our hands in case it should be so. Now as to what you had heard - it
is true we had already a copy of Grotius commentary and the reason of my
requesting the purchase of this book of the deceased Gen. Williams was this. I observed
that the work offered in the advertisement was "Gothic Opera." Now is this book-
made part of a Lawyers library was it an unnatural conclusion in an honest-
-person who of course would believe there was no goodness but in his own gang
that these same volumes contained Grotius' works on the Law of Nations and
his other tracts relating to antiquities and jurisprudence? Under this impress
ion I requested the purchase of the books - hastily to be sure. As to your offer
of taking them off our hands I remark that I suspect you were influenced by
a desire of taking an incumbrance out of our way rather than of posessing
this book. If this is so you need give yourself no uneasiness as I shall
be able easily to exchange it in New York for other valuable works. I see
this book is marked on the New York Catalogues at 22 Dolls. But if on
the other hand the offer was made from pure love of divinity of the year
1630 in latin you may have these volumes and welcome though I
think the work of the Rosenmullers (Father and Son - "Scolia in Gretus
et Novum Testamentum" would be preferable. The talk about these books
has spread out wonderfully - With the new page we will begin a new subject.