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A History of the Maryland Press 1777-1790
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several persons in England, who expressed a strong desire of putting them to the press, which
the avocations of the person to whom they were entrusted, and his not being acquainted with such
undertakings, had caused him to neglect."
It is likely that Langworthy took without Goddard's permission the
manuscript which they had prepared from the Lee papers for their
three volume edition and sent it to an acquaintance in England for
publication soon after their partnership ended.8 Isaiah Thomas wrote:
"Goddard did not publish the work he had projected; as a person whom he had engaged as an
associate in the publication, and who was entrusted with the manuscripts betrayed his trust; for
instead of preparing them fur the press, he sent them to England, where they were printed and
sold for his sole benefit, and formed the imperfect work, which is entitled Memoirs of the Life of the
Late Charles Lee."9
As soon as Goddard learned of the unauthorized and abridged edition, he
disclaimed all responsibility for it in a letter to Washington.
"Removed to the humble Vale of rural Life, it was but recently that the "Memoirs of the Life
of Charles Lee, Esquire," &c &c fell under my Observation—and as I once announced a Design of
publishing a Work nearly similar in Title, though far different in Contents, I am impelled by the
most unfeigned Respect to your Character, as well as Justice to myself, to address you on the Sub-
ject, presuming upon the Liberality ami Candor I have formerly experienced from you, that you
will give due Credit to my Assertions, when I utterly disclaim, as I now solemly do, all Share, or
Concern, in the printed "Memoirs", that have been so improperly ushered (via London) to the
Public Eye.
The Editor, while I was absent, clandestinely took the Manuscripts of General Lee from my
House, and urged by his Necessities and Avarice, hath, without Judgment to discriminate, compiled,
and sent abroad, a heterogenious Collection of Letters, Essays and Fragments—even private Letters,
written to ami by distinguished Characters, at Periods of Friendship and Confidence, which ought,
and I am persuaded, was the Wish of the Writers, to have been buried in Oblivion.
When 1 contemplated the Publication of the Memoirs of the late General Lee, my Design was to
publish certain literary and Military Papers, with such epistolary Writings, as would, 1 judged, by
interesting the Public, at once promote my own Interest, as a Printer, and inhance the Fame of a
departed Friend, who, it must be allowed, inherited, from Nature, a rare and brilliant Genius, and
possessed a cultivated Understanding- It was, indeed, foreign to my Design to introduce an Essay,
a Letter, or a Sentiment, that would wound the Feelings, or excite the Disapprobation, of a single
worthy Person or cast the least Blemish upon the Reputation of General Lee, by sporting with his
lively Sallies, and unguarded (because confidential) Communications—or even to give Currency
to a single Line, that, "dying, he would wish to blot."
Sensible, Sir, of the great Importance (particularly at this Juncture) of your Avocations, I shall
not presume longer to obtrude on your Time, having, I hope, been sufficiently explicit to exculpate
myself from in Imputation of Disrespect to a Character for whom, with applauding Millions, I
feelingly accord my humble, tho' sincere Tribute of grateful Veneration.
[signed] William Goddard.
Johnston (near Providence)
Decm 16, 1793-" 10
8 The English edition was reviewed in the Monthly Review, VIII (1792), pp. 469 471.
9Thomas. History of Printing in America, 1810, Vol. II. p. 355.
10 The Washington Papers Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
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