第47章

_Monticello，January16，1796_

InmyletterwhichaccompaniedtheboxcontainingmycollectionofPrintedlaws，Ipromisedtosendyoubypostastatementofthecontentsofthebox。OntakingupthesubjectIfounditbettertotakeamoregeneralviewofthewholeofthelawsIpossess，aswellManuscriptasprinted，asalsoofthosewhichIdonotpossess，andsupposetobenolongerextant。Thisgeneralviewyouwillhaveintheenclosedpaper，whereofthearticlesstatedtobeprintedconstitutethecontentsoftheboxIsentyou。ThoseinMS。werenotsent，becausenotsupposedtohavebeenwithinyourview，andbecausesomeofthemwillnotbearremoval，beingsorotten，thatinturningoveraleafitsometimesfallsintopowder。TheseIpreservebywrapping&sewingthemupinoiledcloth，sothatneitherairnormoisturecanhaveaccesstothem。VeryearlyinthecourseofmyresearchesintothelawsofVirginia，Iobservedthatmanyofthemwerealreadylost，andmanymoreonthepointofbeinglost，asexistingonlyinsinglecopiesinthehandsofcarefulorcuriousindividuals，onwhosedeaththeywouldprobablybeusedforwastepaper。Isetmyselfthereforetowork，tocollectallwhichwerethenexisting，inorderthatwhenthedayshouldcomeinwhichthepublicshouldadverttothemagnitudeoftheirlossinthesepreciousmonumentsofourproperty，andourhistory，apartoftheirregretmightbesparedbyinformationthataportionhasbeensavedfromthewreck，whichisworthyoftheirattention&preservation。Insearchingaftertheseremains，Isparedneithertime，trouble，norexpense；andamofopinionthatscarcelyanylawescapedme，whichwasinbeingaslateastheyear1778inthemiddleorSouthernpartsoftheState。IntheNorthernparts，perhapssomethingmightstillbefound。Intheclerk’sofficeintheantientcounties，someoftheseMS。copiesofthelawsmaypossiblystillexist，whichusedtobefurnishedatthepublicexpensetoeverycounty，beforetheuseofthepresswasintroduced；andinthesameplaces，andinthehandsofantientmagistratesoroftheirfamilies，someofthefugitivesheetsofthelawsofseparatesessions，whichhavebeenusuallydistributedsincethepracticecommencedofprintingthem。Butrecurringtowhatweactuallypossess，thequestionis，whatmeanswillbethemosteffectualforpreservingtheseremainsfromfutureloss?AllthecareIcantakeofthem，willnotpreservethemfromtheworm，fromthenaturaldecayofthepaper，fromtheaccidentsoffire，orthoseofremovalwhenitisnecessaryforanypublicpurposes，asinthecaseofthosenowsentyou。Ourexperiencehasprovedtousthatasinglecopy，orafew，depositedinMS。inthepublicoffices，cannotbereliedonforanygreatlengthoftime。Theravagesoffireandofferociousenemieshavehadbuttoomuchpartinproducingtheverylosswearenowdeploring。Howmanyofthepreciousworksofantiquitywerelostwhiletheywerepreservedonlyinmanuscript?

Hasthereeverbeenonelostsincetheartofprintinghasrendereditpracticabletomultiply&dispersecopies?Thisleadsusthentotheonlymeansofpreservingthoseremainsofourlawsnowunderconsideration，thatis，amultiplicationofprintedcopies。Ithinkthereforethatthereshouldbeprintedatpublicexpense，aneditionofallthelawseverpassedbyourlegislatureswhichcannowbefound；thatacopyshouldbedepositedineverypubliclibraryinAmerica，intheprincipalpublicofficeswithintheState，andsomeperhapsinthemostdistinguishedpubliclibrariesofEurope，andthattherestshouldbesoldtoindividuals，towardsreimbursingtheexpencesoftheedition。NordoIthinkthatthiswouldbeavoluminouswork。TheMSS。wouldprobablyfurnishmatterforoneprintedvolumeinfolio，wouldcomprehendallthelawsfrom1624to1701，whichperiodincludesPurvis。MycollectionofFugitivesheetsforms，asweknow，twovolumes，andcomprehendsalltheextantlawsfrom1734to1783；andthelawswhichcanbegleanedupfromtheRevisalstosupplythechasmbetween1701&1734，withthosefrom1783tothecloseofthepresentcentury，(bywhichtermtheworkmightbecompleated，)wouldnotbemorethanthematterofanothervolume。Sothatfourvolumesinfolio，wouldgiveeverylaweverpassedwhichisnowextant；whereasthosewhowishtopossessasmanyofthemascanbeprocured，mustnowbuythesixfoliovolumesofRevisals，towit，Purvis&thoseof1732，1748，1768，1783，&1794，andinallofthempossessnotonehalfofwhattheywish。WhatwouldbetheexpenceoftheeditionIcannotsay，norhowmuchwouldbereimbursedbythesal