letters-第8节

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ded　always　the　　Almighty　smiles　upon　the　undertaking；　that　the　entire　work　of　which　　I　have　the　superintendence　will　be　published　within　eight　months　　from　the　present　time。　　Now；　therefore；　with　the　premise　that　I　　most　unwillingly　speak　of　myself　and　what　I　have　done　and　suffered　　for　some　time　past；　all　of　which　I　wished　to　keep　locked　up　in　my　　own　breast；　I　will　give　a　regular　and　circumstantial　account　of　my　　proceedings　from　the　day　when　I　received　your　letter；　by　which　I　　was　authorised　by　the　Committee　to　bespeak　paper；　engage　with　a　　printer；　and　cause　our　type　to　be　set　in　order。

My　first　care　was　to　endeavour　to　make　suitable　arrangements　for　　the　obtaining　of　Chinese　paper。　　Now　those　who　reside　in　England；　　the　most　civilised　and　blessed　of　countries；　where　everything　is　to　　be　obtained　at　a　fair　price；　have　not　the　slightest　idea　of　the　　anxiety　and　difficulty　which；　in　a　country　like　this；　harass　the　　foreigner　who　has　to　disburse　money　not　his　own；　if　he　wish　that　　his　employers　be　not　shamefully　and　outrageously　imposed　upon。　　In　　my　last　epistle　to　you　I　stated　that　I　had　been　asked　100　roubles　　per　ream　for　such　paper　as　we　wanted。　　I　likewise　informed　you　that　　I　believed　that　it　was　possible　to　procure　it　for　35　roubles；　　notwithstanding　our　Society　had　formerly　paid　40　roubles　for　worse　　paper　than　the　samples　I　was　in　possession　of。　　Now　I　have　always　　been　of　opinion　than　in　the　expending　of　money　collected　for　sacred　　purposes；　it　behoves　the　agent　to　be　extraordinarily　circumspect　　and　sparing。　　I　therefore　was　determined；　whatever　trouble　it　might　　cost　me；　to　procure　for　the　Society　unexceptionable　paper　at　a　yet　　more　reasonable　rate　than　35　roubles。　　I　was　aware；　that　an　　acquaintance　of　mine；　a　young　Dane；　was　particularly　intimate　with　　one　of　the　first　printers　of　this　city；　who　is　accustomed　to　　purchase　vast　quantities　of　paper　every　month　for　his　various　　publications。　　I　gave　this　young　gentleman　a　specimen　of　the　paper　　I　required；　and　desired　him　（he　was　under　obligations　to　me）　to　　enquire　of　his　friend；　AS　IF　FROM　CURIOSITY；　the　least　possible　sum　　per　ream　at　which　the　PRINTER　HIMSELF　（who　from　his　immense　demand　　for　paper　should　necessarily　obtain　it　cheaper　than　any　one　else）　　could　expect　to　purchase　the　article　in　question。　　The　answer　I　　received　within　a　day　or　two　was　25　roubles。　　Upon　hearing　this　I　　prevailed　upon　my　acquaintance　to　endeavour　to　persuade　his　friend　　to　bespeak　the　paper　at　25　roubles；　and　to　allow　me；　　notwithstanding　I　was　a　perfect　stranger；　to　have　it　at　that　price。　　　All　this　was　brought　about。　　I　was　introduced　to　the　printer；　Mr。　　Pluchard；　by　the　Dane；　Mr。　Hasfeldt；　and　between　the　former　　gentleman　and　myself　a　contract　was　made　to　the　effect　that　by　the　　end　of　October　he　should　supply　me　with　450　reams　of　Chinese　paper　　at　25　roubles　per　ream；　the　first　delivery　to　be　made　on　the　1st　of　　August；　for　as　my　order　was　given　at　an　advanced　period　of　the　　year；　when　all　the　paper　manufactories　were　at　full　work　towards　　the　executing　of　orders　already　received；　it　was　but　natural　that　I　　should　verify　the　old　apophthegm；　'Last　come；　last　served。'　　As　no　　orders　are　attended　to　in　Russia　unless　money　be　advanced　upon　　them；　I　deposited　in　the　hands　of　Mr。　Pluchard　the　sum　of　2000　　roubles；　receiving　his　receipt　for　that　amount。

Having　arranged　this　most　important　matter　to　my　satisfaction；　I　　turned　my　attention　to　the　printing　process。　　I　accepted　the　offer　　of　Messrs。　Schultz　and　Beneze　to　compose　and　print　the　Mandchou　　Testament　at　the　rate　of　25　roubles　per　sheet；　and　caused　our　fount　　of　type　to　be　conveyed　to　their　office。　　I　wish　to　say　here　a　few　　words　respecting　the　state　in　which　these　types　came　into　my　　possession。　　I　found　them　in　a　kind　of　warehouse；　or　rather　cellar。　　　They　had　been　originally　confined　in　two　cases；　but　these　having　　burst；　the　type　lay　on　the　floor　trampled　amidst　mud　and　filth。　　　They　were；　moreover；　not　improved　by　having　been　immersed　within　　the　waters　of　the　inundation　of　'27　＇1824＇。　　I　caused　them　all　to　　be　collected　and　sent　to　their　destination；　where　they　were　　purified　and　arranged　…　a　work　of　no　small　time　and　difficulty；　at　　which　I　was　obliged　to　assist。　　Not　finding　with　the　type　what　is　　called　'Durchschuss'　by　the　printers　here；　consisting　of　leaden　　wedges　of　about　six　ounces　weight　each；　which　form　the　spaces　　between　the　lines；　I　ordered　120　pounds　weight　of　those　at　a　rouble　　a　pound；　being　barely　enough　for　three　sheets。　　I　had　now　to　teach　　the　compositors　the　Mandchou　alphabet；　and　to　distinguish　one　　character　from　another。　　This　occupied　a　few　days；　at　the　end　of　　which　I　gave　them　the　commencement　of　St。　Matthew's　Gospel　to　copy。　　　They　no　sooner　saw　the　work　they　were　called　upon　to　perform　than　　there　were　loud　murmurs　of　dissatisfaction；　and　。　。　。　＇four　Russian　　words＇　which　means　'It　is　quite　impossible　to　do　the　like；'　was　the　　cry　…　and　no　wonder。　　The　original　printed　Gospel　had　been　so　　interlined　and　scribbled　upon　by　the　author　in　a　hand　so　obscure　　and　irregular；　that；　accustomed　as　I　was　to　the　perusal　of　the　　written　Mandchou；　it　was　not　without　the　greatest　difficulty　that　I　　could　decipher　the　new　matter　myself。　　Moreover；　the　corrections　　had　been　so　carelessly　made　that　they　themselves　required　far　more　　correction　than　the　original　matter。　　I　was　therefore　obliged　to　be　　continually　in　the　printing…office；　and　to　do　three　parts　of　the　　work　myself。　　For　some　time　I　found　it　necessary　to　select　every　　character　with　my　own　fingers；　and　to　deliver　it　to　the　compositor；　　and　by　so　doing　I　learnt　myself　to　compose。　　We　continued　in　this　　way　till　all　our　characters　were　exhausted；　for　no　paper　had　　arrived。　　For　two　weeks　and　more　we　were　obliged　to　pause；　the　want　　of　paper　being　insurmountable。　　At　the　end　of　this　period　came　six　　reams；　but　partly　from　the　manufacturers　not　being　accustomed　to　　make　this　species　of　paper；　and　partly　from　the　excessive　heat　of　　the　weather　which　caused　it　to　dry　too　fast；　only　one　ream　and　a　　half　could　be　used；　and　this　was　not　enough　for　one　sheet；　the　rest　　I　refused　to　take；　and　sent　back。　　The　next　week　came　fifteen　　reams。　　This　paper；　from　the　same　causes；　was　as　bad　as　the　last。　　　I　selected　four　reams；　and　sent　the　rest　back。　　But　this　paper　　enabled　us　to　make　a　beginning；　which　we　did　not　fail　to　do；　though　　we　received　no　more　for　upwards　of　a　fortnight；　which　caused　　another　pause。　　At　the　end　of　that　time；　owing　to　my　pressing　　remonstrances　and　entreaties；　a　regular　supply　of　about　twelve　　reams　per　week　of　most　excellent　paper　commenced。　　This　continued　　until　we　had　composed　the　last　five　sheets　of　St。　Matthew；　when　　some　paper　arrived　which　in　my　absence　was　received　by　Mr。　Beneze；　　who；　without　examining　it；　as　was　his　duty；　delivered　it　to　the　　printers　to　use　in　the　printing　of　the　said　sheets；　who　accordingly　　printed　upon　part　of　it。　　But　the　next　day；　when　my　occupation　　permitted　me　to　see　what　they　were　about；　I　observed　that　the　last　　paper　was　of　a　quality　very　different　from　that　which　had　been　　previously　sent。　　I　accordingly　instantly　stopped　the　press；　and；　　notwithstanding　eight　reams　had　been　printed　upon；　I　sent　all　the　　strange　paper　back；　and　caused　Mr。　Beneze　to　recompose　three　　sheets；　which　had　been　broken　up；　at　his　own　expense。　　But　this　　caused　the　delay　of　another　week。

This　last　circumstance　made　me　determine　not　to　depend　in　future　　for　paper　on　one　manufactory　alone。　　I　therefore　stated　to　Mr。　　P＇luchard＇　that；　as　his　people　were　unable　to　furnish　me　with　the　　article　fast　enough；　I　should　apply　to　others　for　250　reams；　and　　begged　him　to　supply　me　with　the　rest　as　fast　as　possible。　　He　made　　no　objection。　　Thereupon　I　prevailed　upon　my　most　excellent　friend；　　Baron　Schilling；　to　speak　to　his　acquaintance；　State…Councillor　　Alquin；　who　is　possessed　of　a　paper　manufactory；　on　the　subject。　　　M。　Alquin；　as　a　personal　favour　to　Baron　Schilling　（whom；　I　　confess；　I　was　ashamed　to　trouble　upon　such　an　affair；　and　should　　never　have　done　so　had　not　zeal　for　the　CAUSE　induced　me）；　　consented　to　furnish　me　with　the　required　paper　on　the　same　terms　　as　Mr。　P。　　At　present　there　is　not　the　slightest　risk　of　the　　progress　of　our　work　being　retarded　…　at　present；　indeed；　the　path　　is　quite　easy；　but　the　trouble；　anxiety；　and　misery　which　have　till　　lately　harassed　me；　ALONE　in　a　situation　of　great　responsibility；　　have　almost　reduced　me　to　a　skeleton。

My　dearest　Sir；　do　me　the　favour　to　ask　our　excellent　Committee；　　Would　it　have　answered　any　useful　purpose　if；　instead　of　continuing　　to　struggle　with　difficulties　and　using　my　utmost　to　overcome　them；　　I　had　written　in　the　following　strain　…　and　what　else　could　I　have　　written　if　I　had　written　at　all？　…　'I　was　sent　out　to　St。　　Petersburg　to　assist　Mr。　Lipoftsoff　in　the　editing　of　the　Mandchou　　Testament。　　That　gentleman；　WHO　HOLDS　THREE　IMPORTANT　SITUATIONS　　UNDER　THE　RUSSIAN　GOVERNMENT；　AND　WHO　IS　FAR　ADVANCED　IN　YEARS；　has　　neither　time；　inclination；　or　eyesight　for　the　task；　and　I　am　　apprehensive　that　my　strength　and　powers　unassisted　are　incompetent　　to　it'　（praised　be　the　Lord；　they　were　not！）；　'therefore　I　should　　be　glad　to　return　home。　　Moreover　the　comp