Letter from Abraham de Sola to Isaac Leeser;June 29, 1848 · Isaac Leeser Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Letter from Abraham de Sola to Isaac Leeser;June 29, 1848

Author

Abraham de Sola

Contributor

Isaac Leeser

Date Created

29 June 1848

Location(s)

Montreal

Philadelphia

Format

Letter. 4 page(s).

Type

Letter

Language(s)

English

Hebrew

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3np1x156/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3np1x156

Physical Characteristics

Unlined Paper

Manuscript

Is Part Of

The Dropsie College Isaac Leeser Collection at the Penn Libraries

content

Montreal June 29, 5608
Rev Isaac Leeser
Philadelphia
My dear Friend
I can very readily excuse you for what I began to think was a little piece of neglect on your part in delaying to write me a long note that I know what was the cause one which I regalled much to hear,! Hebrew you are not to ? yourself for a Hebrew It is true that in no period of their existence nationally, did our brethren stand in greater need of instruction and of being aroused to a due sense of their duty than now, and therefore, I still continue to say Hebrew but do not let your health suffer by so doing, why not take a little recreation? Why not take a trip into Montreal this summer? Do you wait for a formal invitation? Here is one for you there “The Rev Abraham deSola sees also many other friends will be most happy to see the Rev Isaac Leeser in Montreal during the present summer, when, should the Rev. I L. determine upon coming, they will will endeavor to make the arrangements which will enable him to pass his time as pleasurably as it is possible to do in so outlandish a place ” Please excuse the pink edged not paper, but seriously, dear Friend, I think that a trip to Canada would do you much good, and I shall be delighted to see you, to find you a room, to show you my books, and (probably) to grovel with you over their contents.
Receive my best thanks for your kindness in inserting the long notice of my lecture, I have not the least doubt as to the party who sent it, He is an esteemed friend of mine, and one I believe with whom you are also well acquainted but as you don't mention names I shall not.
You misunderstand me as regards the Hebrew. My object was to publish it in the same way as English's book was republished in Jamaica It would have been an anonymous publication— this I think I neglected to tell you, as I write in haste, My object was further, to ? from you as the person most able to inform me, whether there were reading Israelites enough in America to pay for the printing of the book, not to make it a course of profit, that of course I would not expect. I know as well as you (excuse nay indulgence) that neither pudding nor fame was to be derived from it, but such

is my estimation of the work, that I think it would do a great deal of good, were it generally known. I did not at all expect, my dear Friend, that you would gather subscriptions To repeat your own words “That figure is out of the question.” I only ? open for what you have readily given me your advise, and co-operation. Many thanks for your ? as to fishing in troubled waters. I am well convinced I can assure you of the value & truth of what you say, but in case of being attacked by some of our christian friends (which I think would be unlikely, the publication being anonymous I would always be in possession of the ? provide) by some ? of controversial writers on our side the auction so that at all events I should have the means if not the capability to give them drubbing for drubbing. I have no wish however as I know my own (insufficiency, to enter into controversial disputation, and if I desired to give to the public some of my translations as my own and which I have by me I certainly would not choose the Hebrew but rather my humble renderings of our Rabbinical writers, I am more attached to them than to Lituanian? Caraibes? and always was so. Tell me, how would you like to receive some of these translations for publication in the Occident, and then, before the matter is distributed print off seperately, say 500 copies of them I paying the difference and receiving the books or you takeing those with me in the profits and leaving the proportionate expense. The difference could not be very great as there would be but little alteration to be made in the matter before it is distributed and merely the expense of paper & press work. I am sure I could dispose of many in England ?. I have promised to contribute to the Occident and I don't know why one should not derive mutual benefit from the course first proposed—
Please understand me, I do not mean that the Hebrew should so appear, but smaller works such as the Hebrew Hebrew translations of which I have made although not completed. Dont think either that it is a mania for printing which leads me to propose this but receive it as a casual thought the value and practicability of which you are yourself to determine in your next communication. But let me

remind you, that selections from the writings of Maimonides were published by Bernard, though not those which I have. The book sold well among christians and even among Jews no doubt because the author was a chestiuvuad?.
You will ere this have received the first instalment of my promised article on the settlement of the Jews in England. It is a dark subject and perhaps you and your readers may say a profitable one, but it is one which I was compelled to write in my lecture on the Jews of England and you have it in ? form. The Sermon or the Hebrew you will perceive is one of a series therefore if you have not already published it and will press it back a month or so, inducting the Enquiry “instead, I will send you one or two others on the same subject. With the 2nd instalment of the “Enquiry” some you you will have enough of my scribbles has at least 3 Occidents to come i.e. If you reckon the Sermon and publish the instalments separately if you print them together pray let me know for I am quite in the dark as to your proceedings as we get the Occidents so late here, but not here only. Why should Mrs Joel of London say she had not received any for the last 3 months. Prenez garde, Monsieur le Redacteur! Thanks for the aptra? she sent me. I shall (in return/) expect the same favor every time any papers of mine may be inserted. I send you a report (or rather a digest of one since it would be inconvenient to send so much paper, of the first years operations of our society. If you dont feel inclined to publish all the ? names it contains, pray do not, but just say 'an those will that “there follow the names” The committees wanted to give the people enough but I think the feel stated should be quite sufficient. I am quite pleased with Mrs Jacob Joseph, lately arrived among us, and indeed so are all here. She is extremely amiable and intelligent I regret much that I have not been able to see her as often as I could wish. Preuis? le temps viendra Pray do not allow so long & time to intervene

before writing again By the way, your letter is dated 1st June and I did not receive it till the 27th with the Occidents. Stand when you write, write fully.
Now dear friend farewell for the present with earnest prayers for your perfect health and general welfare believe me
Very truly yours
1 Pres deVille Plase
Abraham deSola
A lady (Miss Miriam Belisario) formerly a pupil of mine has lately published a Hebrew & English ? advertised in the day to Jewish papers as Hebrew & heshe wishes that she has sent me a copy, but having entrusted it to some person to ? me, who was going out to Canada I have not yet seen it. I would otherwise have written a review (for the sake of old acquaintanceship) for the Occident. If you feel disposed to resign the post of honor, or dont intend writing one, pray send me the books per first opportunity and I will endeavor to do the needful.

The above text refers to Occident Volume 6 No. 3 pages 143 through 148. Click here to view.

Identifier

LSDCBx1FF5_18

Date

1848-06-29