28th November 1824

A gentleman came to see me today whose whole talk was of Bloomfield & Booksellers      he told me to put no faith in them & when I told him that all my faith & MSS. likewise was in their hands already    he shook his head & declared    with a solemn bend of his body 'Then you are done by God     They will never print them but will dally you on with well-managed excuses to the grave & then boast that they were your friends when you are not able to contradict it as they have done to Bloomfield'      he then desired me to get my MSS. back by all means & sell them at a market-price at what they woud fetch he said that Bloomfield had not a £100 a year to maintain 5 or 6 in the family why I have not £50 to maintain 8 with This is a hungry difference