NRA-L-000730 / 1856
Filippo Stiassi to Samuele Finzi called Magrini, 1856-09-30
Business letter refusing the return of white cowhide leather purchased to fulfil the recipient’s order, with a heavily revised recipient reply draft disputing its quality and price.
Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000730
Transcript and English translation
working scholarly aid
Address panel — Image 1
Original transcript
Sig.r
Samuel Ben.o Finzi d.o Magrini
Ferrara
Address panel — Image 1
English translation
Mr
Samuel Ben.o Finzi, called Magrini
Ferrara
Recipient reply draft - lower panel, written inverted — Image 1
Original transcript
A riscontro della fav.[abbreviation unclear] d 30 p.p. vi ripeto che nel [deleted: [partly illegible ordering clause]; inserted above: [ordinarveli?]]
[deleted: [inteso?]] lo feci colla persuasione che le spe-
dite simili ad quelle vidi dal Sig.r [Turgi?]
che erano tutte di Pelle [Co?] [abbreviation unclear] Macelli; mentre le pred. sono di Pelle Cotta
D che non meritano il prezzo da voi segnatomi [inserted: [specialta?] [words unclear]] [words unclear]
ripetervi [deleted: [partly illegible price clause]] [inserted: [words unclear]] quello
vi [DiSi?] di disporli [deleted: non valendo [partly illegible continuation]]
tanto vi pare
# invendibili p Grossa Estrema
Notes
The heavily revised recipient draft is inverted relative to the delivery address. Its reference reads 30 p.p., referring to the 30th of last month; it has no independent written date. It does not replace the incoming dateline. Native draft details support vidi, pred. and ripetervi. The ordering insertion, Co, the inserted price qualification and the proposed DiSi remain tentative; genuine dense deletions are retained. Cotta is preserved as the source leather designation without asserting a production process.
Recipient reply draft - lower panel, written inverted — Image 1
English translation
In reply to your letter of the 30th of last month, I repeat that, in [deleted: ...; inserted: ordering them?] [deleted: inteso?], I acted in the belief that the shipped goods were similar to those I saw at Mr [Turgi?], which were all [Co?] hides [...] from the slaughterhouses, whereas those you sent are Cotta hides. These are not worth the price you quoted [inserted: ...] [...]. I repeat [deleted: ...; inserted: ...] what I [told you?] about disposing of them [deleted: not being worth ...]. So it seems to you.
# Unsaleable because of extreme thickness.
Notes
The heavily revised recipient draft is inverted relative to the delivery address. Its reference reads 30 p.p., referring to the 30th of last month; it has no independent written date. It does not replace the incoming dateline. Native draft details support vidi, pred. and ripetervi. The ordering insertion, Co, the inserted price qualification and the proposed DiSi remain tentative; genuine dense deletions are retained. Cotta is preserved as the source leather designation without asserting a production process.
Letter heading — Image 2
Original transcript
Sig.r Samu. Ben.o Finzi d.o Magrini
Ferrara
Letter heading — Image 2
English translation
Mr Samu. Ben.o Finzi, called Magrini
Ferrara
Letter body — Image 2
Original transcript
1307.
Bologna 30 7bre 1856
Faccio prontissimo riscontro alla [abbreviation unclear] del
28 Cadente per dirvi che mi ha sorpreso il conte-
nuto della medesima, in merito alle Vachette
bianche speditovi; mentre appartengono alle partite
quindi sono delle qualità stesse, che spedii al S.r
[Turgi?], presso il quale le vedeste, e come vi
tenni parola con mia 20 spirante, in [caso?] di spiega-
zione, come voi stesso ne dovete essere persuaso per
non è presumibile che mio voglia darvi le Vachet-
te p sorte, da spedire fuori per poi ritirarle
stante, dietro l'ordine che mi date alla [abbreviation unclear] del
21 [abbreviation unclear], in riscontro alla [abbreviation unclear] mia del 20 [abbreviation unclear] spedirvi
12 Vachette fini per sorte, ne dovei fare l'acquisto
per poi pagarmi l'importo, per lo che non posso
assolutamente ritirarle mentre un tale acquisto
anco per la sollecitudine che mi facevate fui fatto
in rispetto per vostro conto, quindi confido voi ab-
bastanza ragionevole onde che non ritornerete
sull'argomento.
Pronto sempre per servirvi Dist. vi saluta
Filippo Stiassi
Notes
Vachette is rendered as cowhide leather in this commercial context; no modern tanning specification or weight conversion is added. The short modifier in [caso?] di spiegazione remains uncertain and is represented by a localized ellipsis in the English. The buyer surname Turgi is tentative and unexpanded. The main older source readings tenni parola, ne dovei fare l’acquisto and non posso assolutamente ritirarle are confirmed. The sender explicitly refuses to take the ordered purchase back.
Letter body — Image 2
English translation
1307
Bologna, 30 September 1856
I am replying at once to your letter of the 28th of this month, whose contents surprised me concerning the white cowhide leather sent to you. It comes from the same batches and is of the same quality as that sent to Mr [Turgi?], at whose premises you saw it, as I also explained [...] in my letter of the 20th of this month. You yourself must recognise this: it is not conceivable that I would supply cowhides of each kind to send elsewhere and then take them back. Following your order of the 21st, in reply to my letter of the 20th, to send you 12 fine cowhides of each kind, I had to purchase them for you to pay for. For that reason I absolutely cannot take them back. The purchase was made on your account, also because of the urgency you pressed upon me. I therefore trust that you will be reasonable enough not to return to the subject.
Always ready to serve you, I send you my respectful greetings.
Filippo Stiassi
Notes
Vachette is rendered as cowhide leather in this commercial context; no modern tanning specification or weight conversion is added. The short modifier in [caso?] di spiegazione remains uncertain and is represented by a localized ellipsis in the English. The buyer surname Turgi is tentative and unexpanded. The main older source readings tenni parola, ne dovei fare l’acquisto and non posso assolutamente ritirarle are confirmed. The sender explicitly refuses to take the ordered purchase back.
Discovery Terms
- Finzi–Magrini Correspondence