145. William Clubbe to Robert Bloomfield, 18 November 1804* 

Brandiston, Wickham Market, 18 Nov 1804

My Dear Sir!

Yours of the 15^th gave me much pleasure—I had expected it some posts before— but did suppose some demur with your publisher might be ye cause of the Delay—for Mr. Lofft, to whose valuable correspondence my translation has introduced me—had intimated to me that their consent might be necessary—a circumstance I did not dream of myself—so little do I know of the Etiquette of business between authors and publishers—I am truly sorry that any interruption of your happiness shd have been another cause of this delay—but as you wisely observe it is ye common lot of Humanity—I trust—(tho Wisdom is never put to a severer test) you as wisely make the best of it ...

You judge perfectly right of me when you think I wd. not do any thing that would not be conducive to your advantage.—You may be assured that from the first moment the idea of a joint Edition was stated to me—I had your Interest in it full as much at heart as my own—If in the opinion of your publisher—& I should conceive they are the best judges—it wd. impede you in the circulation of your English Editions—I give up the Idea with all the pleasure it first gave me. [1] 

A total stranger to your publishers give me leave to trouble yours with ye short letter to them on the other sides [2] —& to request their sentiments thro you—on a correspondence they may shun to open with me themselves—I mean to ask no favors in any turn my own publication may take—but to deal liberally with ye Bookseller or publisher who chuses to engage with me—& to be dealt liberally with by him.

You hint that you are far from happy in your correspondence with Mr. Lofft—& there break off—I have now a frequent correspondence with him—& if there is any thing you wd. wish to mention to him thro me on this subject—I shall with great pleasure do it.—Believe me Dr. sir tho so totally unknown to you—

very sincerely your friend

Willm Clubbe