“

"I am thus prolix in order that nothing may be unexplained.

"I shall go through the copy as it goes to the printer with the original in my hands and shall correct before I deliver it--and shall take care of the latter sheets.

"I have published one of the Chapters on Money which has excited attention, tho’ it was from a very indifferent translation.

"I have not been successful in my enquiries for the letter of Helvetius, or the work of the Abbé de la Rochon, nor unless there should be some of the literary Frenchmen in N. York do I expect to succeed . . .”

Before receiving this, Jefferson, on January 26, returned to Duane the remaining portions of the translation: “ Th: Jefferson returns to Col ^o. Duane the two packages which he supposes to be the last. he has found them as correct as the earlier ones, and much more so than the three preceding. should he be mistaken in supposing these the last, some delay may attend any future ones, as he is just setting out to an establishment he has about 90. Southward (near Lynchburg) and probably will be absent there three or four weeks . . . ”

The translation being completed Jefferson wrote, on January 26, 1811, to Destutt de Tracy: “ The length of time your favor of June 12. 09. was on it’s way to me, and my absence from home the greater part of the autumn delayed very much the pleasure which awaited me of reading the packet which accompanied it. I cannot express to you the satisfaction which I recieved from it’s perusal. I had, with the world, deemed Montesquieu’s a work of much merit; but saw in it, with every thinking man, so much of paradox, of false principle, & misapplied fact, as to render it’s value equivocal on the whole. Williams and others had nibbled only at it’s errors. a radical correction of them therefore was a great desideratum. this want is now supplied, and with a depth of thought, precision of idea, of language & of logic, which will force conviction into every mind. I declare to you, Sir, in the spirit of truth & sincerity, that I consider it the most precious gift the present age has recieved. but what would it have been, had the author, or would the author, take up the whole scheme of Montesquieu’s work, & following the correct analysis he has here developed, fill up all it’s parts according to his sound views of them. Montesquieu’s celebrity would be but a small portion of that which would immortalize the author. and with whom? with the rational and highminded spirits of the present & all future ages. with those whose approbation is both incitement & reward to virtue and ambition. is then the hope desperate? to what object can the occupations of his future life be devoted so usefully to the world, so splendidly to himself? but I must leave to others who have higher claims on his attention, to press these considerations.

" My situation, far in the interior of the country, was not favorable to the object of getting this work translated and printed. Philadelphia is the least distant of the great towns of our states where there exists any enterprize in this way; and it was not till the spring following the reciept of your letter, that I obtained an arrangement for it’s execution. the translation is just now compleated. the sheets came to me by post, from time to time, for revisal; but not being accompanied by the original, I could not judge of verbal accuracies. I think however it is substantially correct, without being an adequate representation of the excellencies of the original; as indeed no translation can be. I found it impossible to give it the appearance of an original composition in our language. I therefore think it best to divert enquiries after the author towards a quarter where he will not be found; and, with this view, propose to prefix the prefactory [ sic -- Ed. ] epistle now inclosed. as soon as a copy of the work can be had, I will send it to you by Duplicate. the secret of the author will be faithfully preserved, during his and my joint lives; and those into whose hands my papers will fall at my death will be equally worthy of confidence. when the death of the author, or his living consent shall permit the world to know their benefactor, both his and my papers will furnish the evidence. in the mean time the many important truths the work so solidly establishes will, I hope, make it the political rudiment of the young and manual of our older citizens . . . ”

Two months later, on March 15, Duane wrote to Jeffer-