To George Washington from Gardoqui, 9 November 1787
From Gardoqui
New York 9th Novre 1787.
My dear Sir
Under the 29th Octre I did myself the honor to write you candidly upon a subjectt to which beg your reference.1
Since that time nothing new has occurr’d upon it, but haveing the wish’d for oportunity to renew my respectts by my good freind Colln. H. Lee, I gladly embrace it requesting you wou’d accept & give a place in your Library to the last Spanish Edition of Don Quixote which I recolectt to have hear’d you say at Dr Franklin’s that you had never seen it.
I cou’d have wish’d it was in English for your particular entertainment, but it being reckoned the very best Edition of that celebrated work & one in which every thing has been manufacture in Spain induces me to request your acceptance.2
Permitt me to repeatt my humble respectts to your worthy Lady & to conclude with my sincere wishes for the pleasure of haveing you nearer subscriving myself in the mean time My Dear General Your most obedt & very humble servt
James Gardoqui
ALS, CtY: Knollenberg Collection; Sprague transcript, DLC:GW.
1. Gardoqui is referring to the stand the Virginia legislature took on the negotiations regarding navigation of the Mississippi River (Gardoqui to GW,29 Oct., n.1).
2. GW while in Philadelphia bought Thomas Smollett’s four-volume translation of Don Quixote. Two four-volume editions of the work were listed in the inventory of the library at Mount Vernon. The Smollett edition is known to have been sold later; the other set may have been this Spanish edition given to GW by Gardoqui (Philadelphia Cash Accounts, 9 May–22 Sept. 1787, n.50; 482–83).