No. III. Sir N. H. Nicolas to Mr. Panizzi.
Torrington Square, 19th May, 1846.
My dear Sir,
In reply to your letter I beg leave to say, that your explanation is wholly unsatisfactory to me.
I did not make any complaint respecting the four books, because I am so accustomed to such a delay, that I consider it a matter of course, though certainly not one of necessity.
With respect to the fifth book, I am of opinion that the title only ought to be—as it would have been in the time of your predecessors—sufficient. I did however give, and correctly, the Press-mark, and there is no other book in the English language with that title. It is idle to pretend that, because a mistake was made as to its size and date, which, in the instance of a work of which there is only one edition, cannot be necessary, and ought not to be required, there was any difficulty in finding the volume.
If there had really been any doubt as to the work I required, why was not the question asked me, or both books brought? whereas no notice whatever was taken of my application for an hour and a half, and then only because I insisted upon its being attended to.
You seem to think that I should have informed you of the delay in bringing the four books. I rejoice that I did not waste my time in such a manner; for now, when I do complain of a flagrant act of neglect, you think fit to justify it, by imputing it to myself, in not having given correctly that which ought not to be required. My next complaint shall be to the Trustees themselves.
I pray of you to use your own discretion about submitting this correspondence to the Trustees. It is the less material to me whether you do or do not do so, inasmuch as I am perfectly sure that their attention must very shortly be called by the Public or by the Government to the difficulties and delay, arising from the present regulations and the state of the Catalogues, in obtaining printed books.
Believe me, &c.