irritate him; there lay no gain for me in that! Nor is there
anything of business left now between us. It is doubly and
trebly evident those Stereotype Plates are not to him worth their
prime cost here, still less, their prime cost plus any vestige of
definite motive for me to concern myself in them:--whereupon the
Project falls on its face, and vanishes forever, with apologies
all round. For as to that other method, that is a game I never
thought, and never should think of playing at! You may also tell
him this little Biographical fact, if you think it will any way
help. Some ten or more years ago, I made a similar Bargain with
a New York House (known to you, and now I believe extinct): "10"
or something "percent," of selling price on the Copies Printed,
was to be my return--not for four or five hundred pounds money
laid out, but for various things I did, which gratis would by no
means have been done; in fine, it was their own Offer, made and
accepted in due form; "10 percent on the copies printed."

---------
* This refers to a proposed arrangement, which fell through, for
the publication in America by Messrs. Phillips and Sampson, of
Boston, of a complete edition of Carlyle's works, to be printed
from the stereotype plates of the English edition then in course
of issue by Messrs. Chapman and Hall.
---------

And how many were "printed," thinks Mr. Phillips? I saw one set;
dreadfully ugly Books, errors in every page;--and to this hour I
have never heard of any other! The amount remains zero net; and
it would appear there was simply one copy "printed," the ugly one
sent to myself, which I instantly despatched again somewhither!