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Letter from Joel Barlow to the Continental Congress (1783)
Source: The National Archives, Center for Legislative Archives: Papers of the Continental Congress, RG 360, 4: 369-373 (No. 78).
Citation:
Letter from Joel Barlow to the Continental Congress (1783), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
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No Translation available.
Author & his assigns for the term of fourteen years
from the time of its publication; &, if he is then
alive, for fourteen years longer. If the passing of
statutes similar to this were recommended by Con-
gress to the several States, the measure would be
undoubtedly adopted, & the consequences would be
extensively happy upon the spirit of the na-
tion, by giving a laudable direction to that en-
terprising ardor of genius which is natural to our
stage of society, & for which the Americans are
remarkable. Indeed we are not to expect to see
any works of considerable magnitude, (which
must always be works of time & labor), offer-
ed to the Public till such security be
given. There is now a Gentleman in Mas-
sachusetts who has written an Epic Poem,
entitled "The Conquest of Canaan",* a work of
great merit, & will certainly be an honor to his
country. It has lain by him, finished, these
six years, without seeing the light; because the
Author cannot risque the expences of the pub-
lication, sensible that some ungenerous Prin-
ter will immediately sieze upon his labors,
by making a mean & cheap improvision, in or-
der to undersell the Author & defraud him of
his property.
This is already the case with the Author of
McFingal.** This work is now reprinted in an
incorrect, cheap edition; by which means the
Author's own impression lies upon his hands
& he not only loses the labor of writing, & the
expence of publishing, but suffers in his
reputation by having his work appear un-
der the disadvantages of typographical errors,
_____________
*) Rev. Timothy Dwight (1752-1817) was the author of The Conquest of
Canaan, a biblical allegory of the taking of Connecticut from the British.
It was not to be published until 1785.
**) McFingal, a mock epic poem by John Trumbull (1750-1831), had
originally been published in full in 1782.
Source: The National Archives, Center for Legislative Archives: Papers of the Continental Congress, RG 360, 4: 369-373 (No. 78).
Citation:
Letter from Joel Barlow to the Continental Congress (1783), Primary Sources on Copyright (1450-1900), eds L. Bently & M. Kretschmer, www.copyrighthistory.org
Back | Record | Images | No Commentaries
Translation only | Transcription only | Show all | Bundled images as pdf
No Translation available.
Author & his assigns for the term of fourteen years
from the time of its publication; &, if he is then
alive, for fourteen years longer. If the passing of
statutes similar to this were recommended by Con-
gress to the several States, the measure would be
undoubtedly adopted, & the consequences would be
extensively happy upon the spirit of the na-
tion, by giving a laudable direction to that en-
terprising ardor of genius which is natural to our
stage of society, & for which the Americans are
remarkable. Indeed we are not to expect to see
any works of considerable magnitude, (which
must always be works of time & labor), offer-
ed to the Public till such security be
given. There is now a Gentleman in Mas-
sachusetts who has written an Epic Poem,
entitled "The Conquest of Canaan",* a work of
great merit, & will certainly be an honor to his
country. It has lain by him, finished, these
six years, without seeing the light; because the
Author cannot risque the expences of the pub-
lication, sensible that some ungenerous Prin-
ter will immediately sieze upon his labors,
by making a mean & cheap improvision, in or-
der to undersell the Author & defraud him of
his property.
This is already the case with the Author of
McFingal.** This work is now reprinted in an
incorrect, cheap edition; by which means the
Author's own impression lies upon his hands
& he not only loses the labor of writing, & the
expence of publishing, but suffers in his
reputation by having his work appear un-
der the disadvantages of typographical errors,
_____________
*) Rev. Timothy Dwight (1752-1817) was the author of The Conquest of
Canaan, a biblical allegory of the taking of Connecticut from the British.
It was not to be published until 1785.
**) McFingal, a mock epic poem by John Trumbull (1750-1831), had
originally been published in full in 1782.