19 - To James Dodsley, London, 10 March 1764

Summary

James Dodsley (1724–97), bookseller, was the younger brother and colleague of Robert Dodsley (1704–64). Their imprint, founded by Robert in 1735 at Tully’s Head in Pall Mall in London, became one of the more prestigious publishing concerns of its time. Robert published Edmund Burke's Philosophical Enquiry into the Origins of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757), which Goldsmith reviewed in the Monthly Review. In April 1759, the Dodsleys published Goldsmith’s Enquiry into the Present State of Polite Learning in Europe and Samuel Johnson's philosophical Orientalist fable Rasselas. James Dodsley would also pay Goldsmith 10 guineas for a share of his oratorio The Captivity in October 1764 (John Newbery bought the other share).

The copy-text is the manuscript in the Free Library of Philadelphia. It was first published by Forster in 1848. It is addressed ‘To Mr. John Dodesley in Pall Mall.’

Gray's Inn

Sir

I shall take it as a favour if you can let me have ten guineas via bearer, for which I promise to account. I am sir your humble servant,

Oliver Goldsmith

March 10^th, 1764

P.S. I shall call to see you on Wednesday next with copy &c.