5782. Frederic Chapman to RB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 32, 104–105.
193. Piccadilly, London. W.
June 27th 1866
My dear Mr. Browning.
Ticknor & Fields write thus—“We find so much objection on the part of Mr. Miller [1] to our occupying the market with an English Edition of Mrs Browning’s Poems, that we have reluctantly decided not to purchase them. Mr. Miller claims that the sums of money paid by him and by Mr. Francis to Mrs. Browning Entitle him in the absence of a copyright law to the market so far as the interference of other American houses is concerned.”
You may recollect that I offered Ticknor 500 copies of the 5 vols Edition for 10/. each, but I do not recollect any large sums having been paid to you by Mr. Francis or Mr. Miller, for Mrs. Brownings Poems besides Aurora Leigh.
I have had with me today Mr. Johnston of New York [2] and he has bought 50 copies of the 5 vols at 10/. as I think we should try and introduce our Edition.
As I pay you 5/6 royalty for what I sell for 10/. I should have to keep and account when a new Edition is to be paid for, of how many copies were sold to America of the last Edition at a cheap rate & charge you such a proportion back of your royalty– We do this to Mr. Carlyle & I would show you his account–
Will you examine the account I now send & if you have no remark to make upon I will send you the balance–
The Vol 4 being all composed, [3] does not in this Edition allow of more than 10d; the next Edition will be at ½.
I hope that you will find this correct.
Yr. most truly
Fred Chapman
Royalty—
1250 copies EB. Brownings Poems
3 vols— ½ 218.15–
1500 copies of Vol 4 10d 62.10–
1000 Selections 2d Ed. 1/6 75
£356. 5.
Aurora Leigh was not printed
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Manuscripts Division, New York Public Library.
1. James Miller (d. 1883, aged 60), who took over the firm of EBB’s American publisher, C.S. Francis & Co., in 1860.
2. Possibly Robert J. Johnston, printer, of 33 Beekman Street, New York.
3. Evidently, the contents of vol. 4 of EBB’s Poetical Works (see letter 5707, note 1) were not reset.
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