CORRESPONDENCE, 1846-55. 203 



Logic into the parcel, which I hope to do in about a fortnight. 1847. 

 As matters are, I feel no compunction at having kept them so 

 long. I beg to offer my best compliments to Mrs. Peacock, and 

 my apologies for introducing myself by inserting her name into 

 a demonstration. But first principles must be carried to their 

 full extent ; and I remain, my dear sir, 



Yours most sincerely, 



A. DE MORGAN. 



To T. K. Hervey, Esq. 



Dec. 1848. 



DEAR HERVEY, .... A man named Lacroix, a French 1848. 

 bibliomaniac, has been over here. He came over with strong 

 prevention against Libri, but examined his case here, and is gone 

 back very angry with his accusers. He is preparing a pamphlet 

 de son chef in defence of Libri, of which the latter promises me 

 an early copy, or proofs if he can get them. So far good. But 

 if you could light on any information about Lacroix (nicknamed 

 Jacob Bibliophile in his own country), or any one of his biblio- 

 graphical publications, so much the better ; for this Lacroix 

 must be looked after. Panizzi and Libri unite in declaring that 

 of upwards of 1,700 manuscripts, sold by Libri to Lord Ash- 

 burnham some years ago, Lacroix named them all, with a few 

 exceptions, and described where they originally came from, 

 merely from his knowledge of existing manuscripts and their 

 localities, thus negativing from his own personal knowledge the 

 charge of theft as to very nearly the whole lot. This story is 

 so extraordinary that, if true, as I cannot doubt it must be in 

 the main, this same Lacroix should be brought forward in Eng- 

 land and his works noticed. I can believe such a story, for I 

 have heard such things well attested of people who pass their 

 lives in studying the physics of books and MSS. 



Yours truly, 



A. DE MORGAN. 



To T. K. Hervey, Esq. 



Dec. 1848. 

 ' And serve it with Hervey's sauce.' 



JERDAN. 



DEAR HERVEY, That unconquerable mania which you have 

 for thinking yonr puns as good as mine (you say better, but I 

 don't believe you think that the most singular fancies are 



