216 Edward Livingston Youmans. 



proper support has apprised your American friends of a 

 possible loss to themselves and the world too serious to be 

 borne without an effort to avert it, and it has seemed to 

 some of them an opportunity for repaying in such form as 

 they may a portion of the indebtedness to you, which can 

 never be entirely cancelled. They have not permitted 

 themselves to doubt your friendly acceptance of such co- 

 operation as they can offer to insure the continuance of 

 your valuable labours, and they have charged me with the 

 pleasant duty of informing you that the sum of seven thou- 

 sand dollars has been invested in your name in American 

 securities (a list of which is inclosed, and which you may 

 either retain or convert at your pleasure), and that they 

 have done this not merely as an expression of sincere re- 

 spect and gratitude toward you personally, but also in the 

 highest interest of liberal thought and civilization. 

 With great regard, very truly yours, 



ROBERT B. MINTURN. 



DERBY, Augttst 2, 1866. 



MY DEAR SIR : Though my friend Mr. Youmans, by ex- 

 pressions in his letters, led me to suppose that something 

 was to be done in the United States with a view to prevent- 

 ing the suspension of my work, yet I was wholly unpre- 

 pared for anything so generous as that which I learn from 

 your letter of June 25th. In ignorance of the steps which 

 were being taken, I had thought that a revival and pos- 

 sibly an extension of the list of subscribers to my works 

 would be attempted, and, my thought having taken this 

 direction, the unexpected munificence of my American 

 friends quite astonished me, as it astonished all to whom I 

 have named it. Not simply the act itself, but also the 

 manner in which the act has been done, is extremely grati- 

 fying to me. Possibly you are aware that, while on the 

 one hand I had decided that I ought not to continue sacri- 

 ficing what little property I possess, I had on the other 



