The letter which follows, was written soon after his return from a visit to Mr. William Swain, at New Bedford: :

MY DEAR SARAH :·

[To Mrs. Storrow.]

SUNNYSIDE, May 6, 1851.

Your most delightful letter of March 5th has remained too long unanswered; but it found me crowded with occupation, getting out a revised edition of the "Alhambra," in which I was making many alterations and additions, with the press close at my heels.

I have been very little in town this winter. Indeed, I may say that I have lived almost exclusively in the country since your departure. My time has been very much occupied with my pen, preparing and printing my revised editions, etc., and it will continue to be so occupied until I finish the "Life of Washington,” on which I am now busy. I am always happiest when I have a considerable part of my time thus employed, and feel reason to be thankful that my intellectual powers continue capable of being so tasked. I shall endeavor, however, not to overtask myself; shall mount my horse often, and break off occasionally to make an excursion like that to New Bedford.

You speak, in one of your letters to the family, of the pleasure you have had in reading the "Reveries of a Bachelor." It is indeed a very beautiful work. The author was kind enough to send ine a copy, and to call on me. I am much pleased with him. He is quiet and gentleman-like in manners and appearance, and I shall be very glad to cultivate his acquaintance. I understand he is engaged to be married; I hope to one worthy of being the subject of one of his reveries.

There are two very clever works which have made their appearance within a year or so, one quite recently-the "Scarlet Letter" and the "House with the Seven Gables." They are by Hawthorne, and two of the best works of fiction that have issued from the American press.

Remember me affectionately to your husband, and kiss the dear little women for me.

Ever, my dear Sarah, your affectionate uncle,

WASHINGTON IRVING.

Of one of the works here mentioned "The Scarlet Letter"-I inquired his opinion just after he had finished reading it, and the impression was fresh. "Masterly! masterly!! masterly!!!" was his emphatic reply.

The following amusing letter is addressed to M. H. Grinnell, the husband of his niece, who had invited him to dine with him in the city, and who had just completed a house in the neighborhood of Sunnyside, which he expected soon to occupy:·

MY DEAR GRINNELL:

SUNNYSIDE, May 20, 1851.

I must beg you to excuse me from dining with you to-morrow. Sunnyside is possessed by seven devils, and I have to be continually on the watch to keep all from going to ruin. First, we have a legion of womenkind, cleaning and scouring the house from top to bottom; so that we are all reduced to eat, and drink and have our being in my little library. In the midst of this, our water is cut off. An Irishman from your establishment undertook to shut up my spring, as he had yours, within brick walls; the spring showed proper spirit, and broke bounds, and all the water-pipes ran dry in consequence. In the dearth of painters, I have employed a couple of country carpenters to paint my roofs, and it requires all my vigilance to keep them from painting them like Joseph's coat of divers colors. Your little man Westerfield is to plaster my chimneys to morrow, and your plumbers and bell-hangers to attack the vitals of the house. I have a new coachman, to be inducted into all the mysteries of the stable and coach-house; so all that part of the establishment is in what is called a halla baloo. In a word, I never knew of such a

tempest in a teapot as is just now going on in little Sunnyside. I trust, therefore, you will excuse me for staying at home to sink or swim with the concern.

Yours affectionately,

WASHINGTON IRVING.

P. S.-Lee has not yet commenced the long-promised filling up, which was certainly to be begun yesterday. I begin more fully to understand what is meant by Lee-way.

This was the filling up of a space between the bank and the railroad, in which the water was apt to rest, and generate, as he believed, unwholesome miasma. an agent of the railroad, and Mr. G. a director.

Lee was

The following is in reply to an application of Mr. Richard Bentley, the London publisher, who was meditating a suit against Mr. Bohn for an infringement of the copyrights of three of the author's works purchased by him. Murray had already gone to great expense to defend his copyrights, the sale, on the republication of the works, being greater than ever in both countries. For fifteen years some of the volumes had not been reprinted by him or his father.

[To Richard Bentley.]

SUNNYSIDE, July 7, 1842.

DEAR SIR:

I have received your two letters, dated June 3d and 4th, informing me of your intention to proceed against certain book-sellers for an infringement of the copyrights of the "Alhambra," "Astoria," and "Bonne

ville;" and, inasmuch as you have no formal deed of assignment from me, requesting me to authorize your solicitor, Frederick Nicholls Devey, Esq., to institute proceedings in my name.

As the whole proceeding is for your account and benefit, and at your expense, I cannot refuse to delegate this authority to the gentleman named; but I confess I give my consent most reluctantly to a measure by which I am made to appear as a litigant, and, though only nominally so, yet at the great hazard of misconception.

If your solicitor could prepare an assignment, or other instrument which might have a retroactive operation, and enable you to sue in your own name, I would greatly prefer it. If this be impracticable, then you may take this letter as a warrant to your solicitor to appear for me, with full power and authority to represent me in any suit you may deem necessary in regard to the before-mentioned works, and before any court. I wish it to be publicly understood, however, in this contingency, that you have recourse to my name on your own behalf, and only from a technical necessity, and that I have no personal interest in the event of the proceeding.

Yours very truly,

WASHINGTON IRVING.

I presume no proceedings were ever instituted by Mr. Bentley, as it will be seen, by the following letter of Mr. Murray to Mr. Irving, that he had compromised his suit with Bohn in September, only two months after the date of the preceding letter:

MY DEAR SIR:

ALBEMARLE STREET, September 19, 1851.

Having troubled you so often, and, I fear, seriously, on the subject of my lawsuit with Bohn, it is with peculiar satisfaction that I now

write to tell you that it is at an end. Mr. Bohn has offered me terms which are satisfactory to me, and not humiliating to him. He has destroyed for me all value in your works, and I make over to him the copyright.

I regret to part with them, but it seemed to me the only way to get out of the squabble, which was becoming very serious, my law expenses alone having run up to £850.

One good, at least, has been elicited out of the contest-it has settled the right of foreigners to hold copyright in this country; for I am assured by my counsel, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, one of the soundest heads at our bar, that the recent decision of our judges on that head is not likely to be reversed by the House of Lords, or any other tribunal. Sir F. K. has studied the subject minutely, and made an admirable speech in the Queen's Bench on my side. I hope, therefore, that the "Life of Washington," and other works to come from your pen, may yet bring advantage to their author from this country; but priority of publication in England is an indispensable condition, and must in all cases be guaranteed and carefully attested at the time of appearance.

No one can desire more than I do an international copyright arrangement with the Americans. In my desire I am not surpassed by Mr. Bohn, nor Sir E. L. Bulwer; but I differ from them in the strong conviction which I feel that it is not by pirating American books that the object is to be attained.

I remain, my dear sir, yours very sincerely

JOHN MURRAY.

The following letter is addressed to John Barney, better known to the world as "Beau Barney," one of the patriarchs of the fashionable circles of Washington City for many years, and is in reply to one from him recalling their first meeting at Burr's trial at Richmond, forty-three years before, and mentioning the