Thomas Jefferson to Wythe, 12 January 1796

"Thomas Jefferson to Wythe, 12 January 1796." Image from the Library of Congress, The Thomas Jefferson Papers.

T.J. G. Wythe         Monticello Jan. 12. 96.
    I received last night your letter on the subject of the laws, and certainly will trust you with any thing I have in the world. A waggon was going off this morning from hence to Varina, and I have exorted myself to send them by that. As I have always intended to have my copies bout up so as to make as complete a set as I could, I thought it best to do that now, before you begin to make use of them. I have therefore arranged them into 7. volumes, and propose to make the revisal of 1796. The 8th as you will sea by the directions to the book trader. I have ordered the book to be delivered to you, merely that you may open it, see it’s contents, and by delivering them to the book binder acquire a right of pressing him to expedite his work as to all the expenses I shall provide for them through the channel of Mr. Randolph. When done, take the whole collection & keep it till it has answered your purpose. I mean to write you a particular statement of the contents of my collection & it’s deficiencies; but this requires more time than the departure of the waggon allows me. It shall follow by part because I am not without hopes you may have some duplicates from which you can spare copies to fill up the chasms of mine. Adieu affectionately.
P.S. Mr. [Prian?] has formerly done a good deal of binding for me, and would take pains to serve an old customer well.