
Just as my MS pkg was consigned to steamer Roman of the Warren Line, comes crawling along—like a fly in molasses— one of Fred. W. Wilson's idiotic little letters asking to see the MS. before agreeing to give me copyright, and assure me seeing of proofs &c—mere trifles. I distrust him, & think him incompetent. However, if Gardner declines we will fall back on the tortoise. He can't say I did not give him every chance.
I am glad that you had Bucke's Sarrazin translation too, if it pleased you. It is first rate, gives parts I omitted, & good ones too. It is just as I told you: the article is strong & adequate. The Dr. in his haste (& I suspect you slyly inveigled him as you did me) misses the point twice. Sarrazin does not say that Hegel is the greatest of the philosophers after Whitman: he says Hegel is the greatest &c according to Whitman. Après means after; but d'après (used by Sarrazin: I saw it in the article at Harvard Library again to-day) means according to, or in the opinion of, on the authority of, & always embodies that idea.
Again our good Dr. misses it in the condor business. Here is Sarrazin: He says where the details are removed from Leaves of Grass.
vous vous apercevez immédiatement que la vie et la variété se sont retirées du tableau et qu'il n'est plus traversé que de grands et monotones coups d'ailes de condor.
(But Dr. B. gives the exact opposite of the true rendering in his translation)
I don't think I have seen the article by O'Connor you allude to.
very cold to-day. Feb. 25 '89
What a fine Lowell number the Critic has (too much taffy; but good reading some of it.)
Bucke's "a banditti of politicians" is funny; in English it means "a robbers of politicians."!
If I had tho't we cd have got a [illegible]. I shd have taken several days (instead of two hours) & made a careful exclusive translation of the bulk of the piece. However, it is just as well.
It grieves me much, dear friend I hear of those pains "inside night & day." Dear me, can't you get rid of 'em?
affec, Billy K.(that's the way they called me out West.)

