Shepherd & Shepherdess City Road May 29th 1804 To Mr Rickman Sir, The enclosed letter came in a packet from Mr Lofft. I recon that half a Guinea will pay for the Books your Lad has
left lately, and for the former 4 copies of the Letters; [1] I think the events of Domingo important in every point of view;
and to Europe perhaps more important than any of us apprehend at present. [2] As it is in a
great degree a political subject it is more in your way than mine;—All your
writings are so confoundedly violent, that I who have four years past made a
determination to be nutral in Politicks and Religion, have much ado to convince
myself that you ought to expect much assistance from such a cowardly fellow. And
it is because I differ in both the above particulars from the Author you first
put into my hands, that I do not feel myself acting a consistant part in
spreading his opinions. Mr P in my
estimation is the vainest of all authors. My circle of friends have long ago
regreted that his great mind should decend so as to disgust his readers by
boasting of himself. Perhaps when he laments the falling off of America from her
purity of principle he is only lamenting the utterly unavoidable effects of a
growing population there, or elsewhere, I believe that if perfect Republicanism
be not a dream, its durability is. I am thus commiting myself to you compleatly;
but it is to show you that I cannot propagate doctrines which I do not profess
either to believe or to understand. I must and will be as
private a Man as pastoral poetry will permit me to be,
or subjects that involve not creeds and systems of which all the world knows I
have had small means of judging. You are fond of frankness, of which you set an
example both in your writings and your manners. You will therefore not be
offended or surprized that I should follow it With great Respect, I remain, Sir Yours sincerely Rob. Bloomfield I have a small thing just published [3] but it is too large for the
post, or, I would beg your acceptance of a copy.— I enclose half a Guinea, which I hope will ride safe.— Notes
* University of Virginia Library, MS 11974
boxed w/11847; BL MS RP 4250 BACK [1] Probably Bloomfield refers to Letters from Thomas
Paine, to the Citizens of America ... To which are subjoined some Letters between him and the late General Washington, Mr. Samuel Adams, and... Mr. Jefferson: also, some Original poetry of Mr. Paine's, etc. Rickman published this volume in 1804. (See also Letter
130). BACK [2] This French colony in the West Indies was then more commonly known as St. Domingue, and is now Haiti. In 1801 the
slave population, led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, had effectively achieved
independence, only for Napoleonic troops to attempt to re-establish control.
In 1802, after L'Ouverture's capture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines became
revolutionary leader. His forces defeated the French in November 1803 and on
1st January 1804 he declared Haiti independent. Paine, long an advocate of
the emancipation of slaves, had argued that Napoleon should give up his
attempt to reimpose slavery and withdraw French forces. BACK [3] Bloomfield refers to his Good Tidings; or, News from the Farm (London, 1804). BACK |
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