MELVILLE, Herman. Autograph letter signed ("H. Melville") to Henry Stephens Salt in London; 104 East 26th St., New York, 25 February 1890. 2 pages, 8vo, in dark brown ink on rectos of integral leaves, his direction to Salt on the verso of the first leaf, with the stamped and postmarked envelope addressed by Melville; in fine condition. "CONCERNING 'TYPEE'" Melville writes, toward the end of his life, to an English admirer and supporter, thanking him for a copy of his recently published The Life of James Thomson (London 1889) and responding negatively to the proposal to reprint Typee , Melville's first book. At this time Salt, a biographer and critic, was involved in preparing the Camelot Series (for the Walter Scott publishing firm in London) and hoped to include Typee , his favorite Melville novel. "I have read it [ The Life of James Thomson ] with the greatest interest, and can sincerely say that I feel under obligations to you as the author of so excellent a biography of a very remarkable poet and man [Melville thought very highly of Thomson's The City of Dreadful Night , calling it the 'modern Book of Job']." "Concerning 'Typee.' -- As I engaged to do [after receiving the proposal from Salt], I wrote to Mr. [John] Murray [the noted English publisher of his first two books, Typee (1846) and Omoo (1847)]. The information contained in the reply is such, and the manner of conveying it is such, that I consider myself bound, by consideration both of right and courtesy, not to sanction any English issue of the book -- (during my lifetime) other than that of the original purchaser and publisher. -- Were matters otherwise, I should be glad to accede to your proposition, especially as it would put me into such good company as that embraced in the Camelot Series [with authors such as Hazlitt, Landor, Thoreau, Whitman, and Emerson, et al]..." Melville died in 1891, John Murray a year later. In 1893 the Murray firm issued reprints of both Typee and Omoo , each with the same preface by Salt. Correspondence , ed. L. Horth, pp. 522-523; the original of Melville's other letter to Salt (12 January 1890, Horth, pp. 521-522) is unlocated. Melville letters are rare. Provenance : H. Bradley Martin (sale, Sotheby's New York, Part VI, 30 January 1990, lot 2174).
MELVILLE, Herman. Autograph letter signed ("H. Melville") to Henry Stephens Salt in London; 104 East 26th St., New York, 25 February 1890. 2 pages, 8vo, in dark brown ink on rectos of integral leaves, his direction to Salt on the verso of the first leaf, with the stamped and postmarked envelope addressed by Melville; in fine condition. "CONCERNING 'TYPEE'" Melville writes, toward the end of his life, to an English admirer and supporter, thanking him for a copy of his recently published The Life of James Thomson (London 1889) and responding negatively to the proposal to reprint Typee , Melville's first book. At this time Salt, a biographer and critic, was involved in preparing the Camelot Series (for the Walter Scott publishing firm in London) and hoped to include Typee , his favorite Melville novel. "I have read it [ The Life of James Thomson ] with the greatest interest, and can sincerely say that I feel under obligations to you as the author of so excellent a biography of a very remarkable poet and man [Melville thought very highly of Thomson's The City of Dreadful Night , calling it the 'modern Book of Job']." "Concerning 'Typee.' -- As I engaged to do [after receiving the proposal from Salt], I wrote to Mr. [John] Murray [the noted English publisher of his first two books, Typee (1846) and Omoo (1847)]. The information contained in the reply is such, and the manner of conveying it is such, that I consider myself bound, by consideration both of right and courtesy, not to sanction any English issue of the book -- (during my lifetime) other than that of the original purchaser and publisher. -- Were matters otherwise, I should be glad to accede to your proposition, especially as it would put me into such good company as that embraced in the Camelot Series [with authors such as Hazlitt, Landor, Thoreau, Whitman, and Emerson, et al]..." Melville died in 1891, John Murray a year later. In 1893 the Murray firm issued reprints of both Typee and Omoo , each with the same preface by Salt. Correspondence , ed. L. Horth, pp. 522-523; the original of Melville's other letter to Salt (12 January 1890, Horth, pp. 521-522) is unlocated. Melville letters are rare. Provenance : H. Bradley Martin (sale, Sotheby's New York, Part VI, 30 January 1990, lot 2174).
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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