Dato: 1. august 1850
Fra: Richard Bentley   Til: H.C. Andersen
Sprog: engelsk.

New Burlington Street, August 1, 1850.

My dear Friend,

I cannot tell you how delighted I was to converse with you again by letter, since I cannot have the pleasure of taking you by the hand.

It seems an age to me since you visited us in London; and many events, chiefly of the melancholy have occured since. You heard of the death of our poor friend Dr. Taylor, I believe? He was taken as it were in a moment from us by Cholera! My family are now located at Penthurst, not far from Sevenoaks, I shall tell them of your kind recollection of them.

I regret to tell you that the last book I published of yours did not succeed - in fact left me with aloss. This I attribute, beyond public caprice, to the present state of the Copyright Act, which does not protect a publisher in what I have always considered his just rights - that is, the Law at present here will not allow the right of a foreigner to have copyright here, nor to assign it. The effect of this is, that Publishers hesitate to give money when their Work may be pirated, but it also operates injuriously inasmuch as the booksellers will not purchase on speculation a book at a fair price, when a cheaper edition may appear in the market next day. In this state of things - for this is a recent decision - I do not know what to do - it clearly will not be in my power to purchase copyright. The only plan which I can conceive under the circumstances is to propose to publish the new work in the following manner: I to incur the whole risk, and after payment af all expenses and commission to divide profits with you. If however any plan should present itself to you more for your interests with any other publisher pray do not hesitate to adopt it, for I shall be sincerely delighted at any good which may come to you, to whom I must always continue to be most warmly attached.

Truly delighted am I to hear of the glorious victory obtained by the arms of Denmark over the rebeis of Sleswick and Holstein. The English people sincere1y sympathize in the noble efforts af the Danes to maintain the integral Kingdom. If they had been left to themselves before, they would long since have destroyed their enemies. All honor to the brave Danish Army! God bless you! my dear Friend.

Yours most sincerely,

Richard Bentley.

All your friends here desire to be most kindly remembered to you.

My eldest son has been making a tour lately in Italy for some months, and I took my daughter with me to Paris to meet him on his return where he stayed some time, and have indeed only lately returned.

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