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"I CALCULATE UPON YOUR FRIENDSHIP" (NATURAL HISTORY.) Bonaparte, Charles Lucien. Letter to John James Audubon reflecting their tumultuous but productive friendship. Autograph Letter Signed as "Charles Pr of Musignano," to Audubon in London, docketed by Audubon with his initials. 3 pages, 9 1/2 x 7 1/4 inches, on one folding sheet with an integral postmarked address panel; slight loss from a trimmed seal tear on fore-edge, otherwise minimal wear. Rome, 11 May 1835
John James Audubon (1785-1851) shared a passion for ornithology with Charles Lucien Bonaparte (1803-1857), Prince of Musignano and nephew of the late emperor. The two had complimentary talents that would seem to cry out for collaboration--Audubon being famous for his field work and his artistic brilliance, and Bonaparte for his more scholarly aptitude in taxonomy. Although they were initially great friends when they first met in 1824, a series of slights and Audubon's extreme protectiveness of his work led to frequent breaks in communication. Audubon had slighted Bonaparte in print, assigning a new name to the Cooper's Hawk (named by Bonaparte) in an 1829 installment of Birds of America, and then impugning Bonaparte's motives in the 1831 first volume of his Ornithological Biography. In 1835 they were just resuming their friendship. This letter shows Bonaparte doing his best to be polite: "I was constantly on the look out for the second volume of your Biography . . . having been so long deprived of it as well as of many other books my brother-in-law has had for months." He also asks for advice on whether to have Audubon's work bound in one or two volumes. Much of the discourse is about books--who is publishing, how they can be obtained, who is willing to make exchanges. After asking for Audubon to forward some hard-to-obtain plates, he adds "I calculate upon your friendship." Bonaparte's interests have started to move beyond birds: "Mostly I am greatly in want of zoologist books. I have myself I confess a little given up of late ornithology for the fishes & reptiles, about which there is a great deal to do." Toward the end of the letter, he comes out with his big request: "Should you like to exchange your bird skins for a copy or more of my Iconography, I will be very glad to do it, and I doubt not you may easily dispose of the work in England." Finally comes what may be a dig concerning their mutual friend, naturalist William Cooper--the man for whom Bonaparte had named Cooper's Hawk: "I have not heard long since from my excellent friend Cooper of New York. Please let me know all what you can concerning him. I have not heard of his Way-Neck being an American bird, nor do I believe it. You must be cautious in admitting European species to be found in America." See William S. Reese, "The Bonaparte Audubons at the Amon Carter Museum and the Friendship of John James Audubon and Charles Lucien Bonaparte" (on-line publication).
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