“”

On May 3 Jefferson replied to the first two letters: “ Your favors of Apr. 16. and 19. on the subject of the portraits of Columbus and Americus Vespucius were recieved on the 30 ^th. while I resided at Paris knowing that these portraits, & those of some other of the early American worthies were in the gallery of Medicis at Florence, I took measures for engaging a good artist to take and send me copies of them. I considered it as even of some public concern that our country should not be without the portraits of it’s first discoverers. these copies have already run the risks of transportations from Florence to Paris, to Philadelphia, to Washington, & lastly to this place, where they are at length safely deposited. you request me ‘to forward them to you at Philadelphia for the purpose of having engravings taken from them for a work you propose to publish, and you pledge your honor that they shall be restored to me in perfect safety.’

" I have no doubt of the sincerity of your intentions in this pledge; and that it would be complied with as far as it would be in your power. but the injuries and accidents of their transportation to Philadelphia and back again are not within your controul. besides the rubbing thro’ a land carriage of 600. miles, a carriage may overset in a river or creek, or be crushed with every thing it in. the frequency of such accidents to the stages renders all insurance against them impossible. and were they to escape the perils of this journey, I should be liable to the same calls, and they to the same or greater hasards from all those in other parts of the Continent who should propose to publish any work in which they might wish to employ engravings of the same characters. from public therefore as well as private considerations, I think that these portraits ought not to be hazarded from their present deposit. like public records, I make them free to be copied, but, being as originals in this country, they should not be exposed to the accidents & injuries of travelling post. while I regret therefore the necessity of declining to comply with your request, I freely and with pleasure offer to recieve as a guest any artist whom you shall think proper to engage, and will make them welcome to take copies at their leisure for your use. I wish them to be multiplied for safe preservation, and consider them as worthy a place in every collection. indeed I do not know how it happened that mr. Peale did not think of copying them while they were in Philadelphia, and I think it not impossible that either the father or the son might now undertake the journey for the use of their Museum. on the ground of our personal esteem for them, they would be at home in my family.

" When I recieved these portraits at Paris, m( ^~ r) Daniel Parker of Massachusetts happened to be there, and determined to procure for himself copies from the same originals at Florence; and I think he did obtain them, and that I have heard of their being in the hands of some one in Boston.

" if so, it might perhaps be easier to get some artist there and to take and send you copies. but be this as it may, you are perfectly welcome to the benefit of mine in the way I have mentioned . . .

On June 19 Delaplaine wrote: “I have been favoured with your very obliging and satisfactory letter respecting the portraits of Columbus & Americus Vespusius, and shall avail myself of your kind offer whenever an opportunity offers . . .”

Jefferson replied on June 29: “ Th: Jefferson presents his respects to M ^r. Delaplaine & willingly becomes a subscriber to the publication stated in the Prospectus sent him. he presumes there will be some agent within this state who can recieve the subscription money, the difficulty of making remittances of small & fractional sums to a distance & in a paper recievable there being a principal obstruction to these subscriptions. since the date of his letter he has found in his library a very fine print of Vespucius done in Florence from the same original from which his portrait is taken. it is the frontispiece of an Eulogium on Vespucius, 6. I. by 4 1/4 I. should m ( ^~ r) Delaplaine find it more convenient to copy this, whenever his engraver proceeds to that part of his work, Th: J. will cut it out of the book and forward it to him, to be returned when done with. ”

On July 28, at the end of a long letter discussing Jefferson’s own portrait and its place in the volume, Delaplaine wrote: “. . . I am now prepared to put the portrait of ”