[f158r]

March 8/45
My dear sir
I am sorry again to trouble you, but the
business between us has suddenly taken so unexpected and to me
so unaccountable a turn, that I cannot but express to you
my great surprize. When I left the ms with you so long since
as the 25 of Jany. you gave me reason to
hope that shd the gentleman you were in the habit of
consulting approve of the work (although in most cases you
did not venture to publish at your own risk works of unknown
authors) you might accede to my wishes, and
at this and a subsequent meeting, you asked me whether
I would object to be responsible for some part of
the expenses, shd the work not succeed, I did
not absolutely decline this proposal stating that
as I shd be sorry you shd be a sufferer I had no objection to
this your suggestion, to a moderate extent.

Now Sir judge my surprize,
when, after the approval of your friend had been obtained
and he and all agreed in the necessity
of no time being lost in bringing out the work (from
the interest the public feel at the moment in the local
nature of the subject) and that after
the lapse of more than a month, you decline taking
any risk in the publication, and only express your willingness
to publish the work for me, why surely if I had intended
to do this at my own expense, not a moment need

[f158v]

have been lost, no consultations would have been required
and the book could
have been in the hands of the public at the moment.


I regret that your pressing occupation(s)
will not allow you to favor me with a visit
and that my state of health prevents my again calling
upon you - I have no idea of offering it to
any other house to meet with fresh delays and
with this very great, disadvantage, that I cannot
now offer the m s to any other person as I did
to you with the assurance that not one line of
it had ever been read by any other
publisher --.


And now my dear Sir if upon
consideration of the above circumstances
you are disposed to agree to your original
proposal, of publishing the work upon my
becoming responsible for a proportion of the loss, shd
there be any -- I am willing to consider myself liable
to the amount of one third of the outlay begging
you will oblige me by as early an answer as
may suit your convenience, or that you will favor
with a call


I remain yours
W Collins

e-mail Paul Lewis on paul@paullewis.co.uk