JOSIAH QUINCY.{30}

"Good fortune comes at last and I certainly shall not reject it," the
young Longfellow wrote to his father. "The last paragraph of the
letter," he adds, "though put in the form of a permission, seems to
imply a request. I think I shall accept that also." Some additional
correspondence, however, proved necessary, such as follows:--

HON. JOSIAH QUINCY:

SIR,--Your letter of to-day inclosing the Vote of the President and
Fellows of Har'd University in relation to the Professorship of
Mod'n Lang's has been received, and in expressing anew my desire to
meet your wishes fully in the matter before us, I beg leave to defer
an official answer until my return from the South, in about three
weeks hence.

In the mean time may I take the liberty of calling your attention
once more to the subject of our last conversation? I feel it
important that I should be regularly appointed before sailing for
Europe. Otherwise I present myself as any private individual
whatever. But if I go as one of your professors, I carry with me in
that very circumstance my best letter of recommendation. It gives me
a character--and a greater claim to attention abroad, than I can
otherwise take with me. Judge Story is ready to consent to this
arrangement--so is Mr. Gray--so is Mr. Ticknor. If you could bring
the subject once more before the corporation, I think the objections
suggested by you when I saw you this morning will be found to give
way before the good results, which I think may be reasonably
anticipated from change in your vote where respectfully suggested.

Very respect'y
y'r. Ob'e. Ser't.

HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.{31}

BOSTON, Jan'y 1, 1834. [Error for 1835.]

HON. JOSIAH QUINCY:

SIR,--Placing entire confidence in the assurances of the President
and Fellows of Harvard University in reference to my election to the
Smith Professorship of Modern Languages and Belles Lettres in that
institution, which assurances were communicated to me in y'r favor
of 1st January, together with their Vote upon the subject,--I have
the honor to inform you, that I shall sail for Europe in the month
of April next, and remain there till the summer of 1836.