tinued to bring out the
American edition of his novels until the year 1844. It was from the
sales in this country that most of the income from his books was derived.
England, indeed, brought him a large sum, at least up to the passage of
the copyright law of 1838; but he gained little pecuniary benefit from
the wide circulation of his works on the European continent, whatever
may have been the renown. In regard to France, he said in 1834 after his
return, that he had paid in taxes to the government of that country,
during his different residences in it, considerably more money than was
obtained from the sales of the sheets of fourteen books. In Germany,
where his writings had an immense circulation, his receipts were still
less.

But whatever may have been the precise amount acquired by the sale of
his works, it was sufficient to pay off heavy debts incurred by others,
but which he was compelled to assume, to put him in an independent
position and justify him in determining to fulfill a long-cherished
desire of spending some time in Europe. Accordingly on the 1st (p. 067)
of June, 1826, he sailed with his family--consisting, with the servants,
of ten persons--from the port of New York. On the 5th of November, 1833,
he landed there on his return. His original intention was to be gone for
but five years. To the fixing of this particular time he was apparently
influenced by a remark of Jefferson, that no American should remain away
for a longer period from the country, because if he did, so rapid were
the changes, its facts would have got wholly beyond his knowledge. His
absence actually extended to a little less than seven years and a half.
Most of this time was spent in France. From Henry Clay, then Secretary
of State, he had received the appointment of consul at Lyons. He had
asked for it, because he did not wish to have the appearance of
expatriating himself; for as the service was then conducted, such a post
involved no duties and brought in no returns. His commission bears date
the 10th of May, 1826. Even this nominal position he gave up after
holding it between two and three years. No resignation of his is on file
in the State Department; but a successor was appointed on the 15th of
January, 1829. He threw up the place because he had come to entertain
the conviction that gross abuses existed in the system of foreign
appointments, and it became him to set an example of the principles he
professed.

It may be we