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Front Page arrow Titles (by Subject) arrow 258.: malthus to ricardo1[Reply to 256] - The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, Vol. 7 Letters 1816-1818

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258.: malthus to ricardo1[Reply to 256] - David Ricardo, The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, Vol. 7 Letters 1816-1818 [1816]

Edition used:

The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, ed. Piero Sraffa with the Collaboration of M.H. Dobb (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2005). Vol. 7 Letters 1816-1818.

Part of: The Works and Correspondence of David Ricardo, 11 vols (Sraffa ed.)

About Liberty Fund:

Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals.


258.

malthus to ricardo1
[Reply to 256]

My dear Sir,

The bustle of the Directors on thursday, and an unexpected engagement on friday, in the afternoon when I generally write my letters, prevented me, (quite contrary to my intention) from answering your former letter before I received the latter.2

I am much afraid that Mrs. Ricardo has been kindly putting herself to some inconvenience to receive us, when there was no sort of occasion for it. Mrs. Malthus on account of having the children with her, whom she meant to leave with Mrs. Bray, could not have staid in Town more than two days, in her way into Surrey, and these she has now engaged to spend with her sister Mrs. Wynne at Mrs. Baillie’s; and with regard to myself, you know a single man may be any where. I hope therefore Mrs. Ricardo has not made any changes or new arrangements in her bed rooms on our account. Mr. and Mrs. Wynne leave us on wednesday. Mrs. Malthus will either go with Mrs. Wynne or join her the next day, and set off for Surrey on saturday. I shall be in Town I believe on thursday, and stay perhaps a week. If you have a Batchelors room quite vacant, without any removals, I will take it with great pleasure, but not otherwise. At all events I will dine with you on monday, and Mrs. Malthus will be most happy to join me, if by any accident, (which I think not probable) she should stay in Town till that time.

What do you think of Lord Lauderdale’s Protest?3 He certainly does not understand the nature of a Seignorage.

I am afraid I shall hardly be able to give six walks of three hours each to Mr. Mill; but if I could, I doubt if I should be quite converted. You know from experience that I am a little obstinate, when I think I am right; but I hope I should not shew any such disposition if I believed myself wrong.

Mrs. M joins me in kind regards to Mrs. Ricardo.

Ever most truly Yours

T Robt Malthus.

[1 ]Addressed: ‘D. Ricardo Esqr /56. Upper Brook Street / Grosvenor Square’.

MS in R.P.

[2 ]The second letter is wanting.

[3 ]The Protests of Lord Lauderdale, on 22 and 27 May, against the Bank Restriction Bill (Journals of the House of Lords, 1817–1818, pp. 678, 698); cp. above, I, 371.