2 CO Deaxe, Letters from Swainson to Audubon. Ljuly 



He is now part of O'Connell's 1 Political tail. Kind regards 

 to Mrs. A. & your son. 



Ever yours, most sincerely 

 W. Swainson. 

 J. Audubon Esq. 



care of Mr. Havell, 

 77 Oxford St. 

 London. 



No. 3. 



18 January, 1829. 

 My dear Mr. Audubon, 



I write this in utter uncertainty whether it will find you in Lon- 

 don. My first number 2 has now been out three weeks — it has 

 been seen and universally admired, and how many copies do you 

 think the Publisher has sold ? now pray guess as the Americans 

 say. 100 — no. 50 — no. twentyfive, no. fifteen, no. ten? 

 yes. positively ten copies and no more, has been sold. I blush 

 almost to confess this mortification to even, you, but so it is. 

 Now, my dear Sir, what am I to think of the "generally diffused 

 taste" as the phrase is, for Natural History.* 



This allthough vexing to me, may be a consolation to you, who 

 are able to exhibit on what I call your Red Book the names of a 



1 An Irish political patriot. Born 1775, died 1S47. 



2 Zoological Illustrations. 3 vols., 1820-23, with 182 colored plates by 

 himself. Second Series. 3 Vols., 1832-33. 



a In the preface of 'Zoological Illustrations,' Second Series, Vol. II, 1831-32, 

 Swainson writes : " Neither literature nor art has been encouraged in our opu- 

 lent Island, half as much as they have been by some of the petty Kingdoms 

 of the Continent. It is a melancholy fact, that while our present laws crush 

 individual exertion, by extorting a large number of free copies of the most 

 costly works, undertaken by their Authors without the slightest hope of 

 remuneration, the Government of France assigns for subscriptions to such 

 publications, an annual sum of £10,000. But on questions regarding the pat- 

 ronage of science, Great Britain, unfortunately, is poorer than any Nation in 

 Europe." This volume was dedicated to King Louis Philippe, of whom 

 Swainson writes : "A true Patron to Science, munificently encourages, both 

 privately and publicly, all w T ho are engaged in its pursuit." 



