Audubon to Charles Lucien Bonaparte
To Charles Bonaparte,
Prince of Musignano, &c., &c., &c.
My dear Sir:—
I am sadly grieved to hear through our friend, Wm. Cooper, of this city, that you have taken umbrage to a passage in the Introduction to my first volume of Ornithological Biographies.
To tell you that not even a thought of disparagement ever existed in my mind towards you, would not be enough. I have always repeated to all my Friends, nay, to all persons who have ever spoken of you, of the superior talents you possess, and of the Intrinsic value connected with all your ornithological or otherwise scientific productions.
I am a plain sailing man. You know full well that I derive no knowledge from classical education, and that being the case, connected with my being honest, I always try to say what I think truth, at once. Could I have praised you at one place, and attempted to lower you in the estimation of the Scientific World at another? If so—I would acknowledge myself unworthy the good wishes of any one, much less of the good wishes of Charles Bonaparte! the very being who brought me forward into worldly notice by his kind advice. Nay, Nay; take me for what I am in truth
Your Friend & ever your well wisher, as well as your obt. Sert.
John J. Audubon.
Bonaparte was too much of a man of the world to permit such an incident to cause any sudden break in their relations. We know that they met in London in 1837, when, as Audubon said in a later letter to Harris[112] he "pumped him sadly too much"; at his request Bonaparte then drew up a list of American birds, to the number of 425.[113] Although his subscription to The Birds of America was permitted to lapse, Bonaparte's name was retained on the list to the end. When the business was being closed up in London, however, Audubon wrote to Havell, from Edinburgh, under date of 15 May, 1839: "As respects my old Friend, C. Bonaparte, unless he pays the long standing balance which he owes me of £8.18.6, and also the price of the set of Nos. 81-87, on the nail, he is not to receive the latter." Again on the thirtieth of June he wrote: "I have no numbers for Charles Bonaparte, and no 5th. vol. of Biog. for Mr. Gould; let the Gentlemen purchase or procure what they want where they can."