The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe [1319]
Please re-inclose me the slips, when read.
What you tell me about the accusation of plagiarism made by the “Phil. Sat. Ev. Post” surprises me. It is the first I heard of it — with the exception of a hint made in one of your previous letters — but which I did not then comprehend. Please let me know as many particulars as you can remember — for I must see into the charge — Who edits the paper? — who publishes it? etc etc. etc. — about what time was the accusation made? I assure you that it is totally false. In 1840 I published a book with this title —”The Conchologist’s First-Book — A System of Testaceous Malacology, arranged expressly for the use of Schools, in which the animals, according to Cuvier, are given with the shells, a great number of new species added, and the whole brought up, as accurately as possible, to the present condition of the science. By Edgar A. Poe. With Illustrations of 21 S shells, presenting a correct type of each genus.” This, I presume, is the work referred to. I wrote it, in conjunction with Professor Thomas Wyatt, and Professor Mc Murtrie of Pha — my name being put to the work, as best known and most likely to aid its circulation. I wrote the Preface and Introduction, and translated from Cuvier, the accounts of the animals etc. All school-books are necessarily made in a similar way. The very title-page acknowledges that the animals are given “according to Cuvier”.
This charge is infamous and I shall prosecute for it, as soon as I settle my accounts with the “Mirror.”
Truly your friend,
E A Poe
George W. Eveleth to Edgar Allan Poe — February 21, 1847
I received one paper from you, the Home Journal containing your letter to Willis and “An Author in Europe and America” — it came, as it happened, at our office on the same night that I mailed my letter to you — but I didn’t get it till the next day evening, after my letter had gone out. Did you mail the other at the same time you did it? What was its title? did it contain either of the paragraphs which you inclosed in your last?
I saw notice of your wife’s death in a Boston paper of last Thursday. You will believe me when I say that I deeply sympathise with you in your loss.
Who is the “scholar and gentleman” that furnished the communication for the Home Journal? I esteem him for this, let him be whom he may. —
There is more of the real coin of compliment in these paragraphs (these three) than would be contained in three hundred paragraphs of the same length from those miserable paper-blotters who have persecuted you in your affliction, and who “will toady you again” in your new prosperity — and they tell more for your fame than three legions of false accusations by those same crawling things would tell against it.
I fully believe you when you tell me that the accusation by the “Post” is “totally false.” I could hardly believe it to be true at the time it was made, but thought there was a chance for it to be, not knowing so much of the “Post” as I have learned since.
I have watched it pretty attentively of late — it has taken every opportunity to heap odium upon you — it grossly misrepresented you with reference to your “Opinions” in Godey’s Mag. I would give you some of these misrepresentations, but haven’t the numbers of the paper containing them at hand from which to copy. I was afraid I couldn’t give you the information concerning the accusation which you requested, as I did not take the paper, and as I had forgotten the time it was made, and the particulars altogether.
But I have been fortunate enough, after hauling over, and overhauling again, two years numbers of the paper belonging to a friend, to hit upon the identical thing — here it is. I thought it would be as well to cut it out and inclose it in a letter, for fear it might not reach you if I sent the paper — I mail you the paper though so that, if it