L.A.S. "C.B", [Paris 18 May 1860], to his publisher Auguste POULET
-MALASSIS in Alençon; 2 pages in-8, address with stamp (corner torn without loss of text).
On the printing of Paradis Artificiels and the large paper copies.
Baudelaire speaks first of a discount note that he had trouble getting, which was refused twice, the second time because "I went like a fool to break my nose on Ascension Day. Then he comes to his book: "For me to buy copies on the wire, there must be some. Where are they? And I was waiting for that, at least for Grandguillot (a serious matter)" [Grandguillot was director of the Constitutionnel].
He will go "to fetch the Flowers" [the poems for the second edition of the Fleurs du Mal, left in Honfleur] after having settled the Duranty affair...
Poulet-Malassis will now have to do "as all publishers do: 1000 means 1100, 1500 means 1650. One must not lose money by forced gifts. And this surplus, authorized by all customs, must be entirely devoted to the inevitable obligations. However, when the circulation is 6000 (6600), I do not pretend to give 600 copies.
[...] you should have foreseen the case, and by doing as everyone else does, you would have avoided imposing an embarrassing economy on me." He thanks him "for the China; but does that imply that I will not have any Holland? [...] I resign myself to the misfortune of Saint-Victor, Gaiffe and Du Camp.
But Janin and especially Grandguillot!"... He points out a typo on page 14.
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