^{page 1057 note 1} See Howard R. Marraro, Da Ponte and Foresti: the introduction of Italian at Columbia. Columbia University Quarterly, xxix (1937), 23–32. Da Ponte was not a member of the Board of the College, although records in the Columbiana Collection of the University show that between 1828 and 1838, he attended three of the weekly meetings of the Board of the College: that of October 20, 1829, on the death of President Harris, and those of January 20 and 23, 1830, when the Board discussed a system of public lectures that the Trustees wished to institute. It seems doubtful whether Da Ponte's status as a Columbia professor was anything more definite than the appointment of John Griscom who was appointed Professor of Chemistry at Columbia in 1813, and who had never commenced instruction in the College in 1820, when Renwick took his place, or that Da Ponte was any more a Professor of Italian at Columbia than was Professor Berteau, Professor of French Language and Literature, 1839–66, or Professor Velasquez de la Cadena, Professor of Spanish Language and Literature at Columbia, 1830–60. In 1858 the President, Trustees, and professors apparently forgetting that the institution already possessed professors of French and Spanish recommended that such professors be appointed. The writer is indebted to Mr. Roger Howson, Associate in History at Columbia, for this information.

^{page 1058 note 2} Memoirs of Lorenzo Da Ponte. Translated by Elizabeth Abbott from the Italian: edited by Arthur Livingston (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1929), pp. 474–475.

^{page 1058 note 3} Gulian Crommelin Verplanck (1786–1870). Author and Congressman. Graduated from Columbia College in 1801. Admitted to the bar in 1807. From 1821 to 1824, he was professor in the General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in New York. Elected to the New York Assembly in 1820, 1821, and 1822, devoting himself chiefly to educational matters. Largely because of his opposition to the high tariff, in 1824 he was elected to the House of Representatives. Served in the New York Senate from 1838 to 1841.

^{page 1058 note 4} Edward Everett (1794–1865). From 1825 to 1835 he was Congressman from Massachusetts.

^{page 1059 note 5} At the time Da Ponte probably lived at 343 Greenwich Street. From 1829 to 1836 his residence at 342 Broadway was quite pretentious. (Da Ponte, op. cit., 416.)

^{page 1059 note 6} Henry James Anderson (1799-1875). Professor of Mathematics and astronomy in Columbia College 1825–50. Anderson had boarded with Da Ponte while a student of medicine and for several years after his Columbia appointment. Married Da Ponte's daughter, Fanny, on Aug. 3, 1831. See Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United Slates (1900), i, 89–90.

^{page 1059 note 7} Duer, William Alexander. President of Columbia College, 1829–40.

^{page 1059 note 8} Mathias, Thomas James (1754?–1835). Author of The Pursuits of Literature (1794); Componimenti lirici de'più illustri poeti d'Italia. New ed. 4 v. D. (Naples, 1819); Poesie liriche e prose toscane (London, 1810); and edited Crescimbeni's Commentar] intorno all'istoria della poesia italiana, 1803.

^{page 1060 note 9} In his Memoirs Da Ponte states that he had impelling reasons for publishing the oration which he called: “Oration of Lorenzo Da Ponte Delivered before his Pupils and Friends on the Evening of the Tenth of March in the Year 1828, the Seventy-ninth Anniversary of his Life.” (Da Ponte, op. cit., 475.)

^{page 1060 note 10} Mr. Anderson's letter is in English.

^{page 1061 note 11} Apparently Da Ponte did not meet with much success in his efforts to sell these Italian books to the directors of the Library of Congress, for not more than eleven of the books listed in this and the following letters to Mr. Verplanck could be found in the Alphabetical Catalogue of the Library of Congress: Authors (Washington: Gov't. Printing Office, 1864).

^{page 1062 note 12} Giambattista Ramusio (1485–1557). Venetian diplomat. Published the famous Navigationi et viaggi. Venice, 1550, 1556, 1559. 3 volumes.

^{page 1062 note 13} Lorenzo Luigi Da Ponte (1803–40). Professor of the Italian Language and literature at Maryland University and at New York University (1832–10). Author of History of the Florentine Republic. 2 volumes, 8° (New York, 1833), and Almachide, a tragedy (1830). He edited The Tragedies of Æschylus (1835). See Francis S. Drake, Dictionary of American Biography (1872), p. 727.

^{page 1062 note 14} Professor Livingston points out that from 1792 to 1831, “whatever the economic and political contortions of the head of the family, the element of stability and continuity and, after all, prosperity, in the Da Ponte household must be sought in his patient, hard-working, self-effacing wife.” (Da Ponte, op. cit., p. 425.)

^{page 1063 note 15} Miles Franklin Clossey, Jr. Married Da Ponte's daughter, Louisa, on November 15, 1809 (Trinity). (Da Ponte's op. cit., p. 367.)

^{page 1063 note 16} Matilda Ann Clossey (1815–32), daughter of Louisa and Miles Franklin Clossey, Jr. (Da Ponte, op. cit., p. 462.)

^{page 1063 note 17} Pierre Louis Ginguené (1748–1816). French ambassador at the Court of the King of Sardinia. Author of Histoire Littéraire d'Italie. 2 vols. (Paris, 1824). The Italian translation was entitled: Storia della Letteratura Italiana ... traduzione del professor B. Perotti, 12 tom. (Milan, 1823–25). 16.°

^{page 1064 note 18} Probably Thomas Day, Poems (Chiswick, 1822). (Brit. Poets, v. 58.)

^{page 1064 note 19} Agostino Da Ponte, Lorenzo's half-brother, arrived with his daughter, Giulia, on February 18, 1830. (Da Ponte, op. cit., pp. 478–480.) The New York Evening Post in its issue of April 19, 1830, contained the following announcement: “L'Ape Musicale—the new opera, written by Signor Da Ponte and intended for representation at the next appearance of la Signorina Da Ponte, on Tuesday, has been published. The author of this little piece in a short preface, explains the embarrassments with which he had to contend in composing a drama suited to the present state of the New York theatre, and to the exact qualifications of the few performers here who can take part in an Italian opera. The music for the piece has been taken from the most celebrated compositions. The work, a favorable reception of which the author informs the New York public ”may rouse to loftier flights the still cheerful muse of their octogenarian poet,“ is to be had at the bookstore of L. & A. Da Ponte. Signorina Da Ponte's performance tomorrow night will draw together a numerous assembly of musical amateurs and critics. The circumstances of her present appearance are more favorable to the successful exertions of her powers than those of the last.”

The New York Evening Post of April 27, 1830, contained this announcement: “Signorina Giulia Da Ponte has the honor of announcing to the public that her first benefit in America will take place on Thursday evening next, April 29, when will be presented a new petitcomedy Popping the Question, after which a grand entertainment of vocal and instrumental music consisting of whole scenes of character, selected from the most popular works of Rossini, Mercatante, Vaccari, Mozart, Cimarosa, etc. in which la Signorina Da Ponte, Signor Rosich, and others will appear to conclude with the new farce of My Master's Rival.”

Professor Odell in his Annals of the New York Stage (iii, 485) points out that after several appearances Giulia Da Ponte “withdrew from the stage and gracefully returned to the more congenial shades of private life,” and that the Musical Bee (L'Ape Musicale) was Da Ponte's old Pasticcio which had ruined him at Vienna.

^{page 1064 note 20} The January 12, 1830 issue of the New York Evening Post contained the following advertisement: “Board & Instruction in Italian. One or two gentlemen can be well accommodated with boaid and a pleasant room, at the house of the subscriber, No. 342 Broadway, where a knowledge of Italian may be acquired without additional expense. Lorenze Da Ponte.'?

* The two vols. of Ginguené are in the hand of Mr. H. Wharton.

^{page 1068 note 21} I wish to express my appreciation to Mr. Roger Howson, Associate in History at Columbia University, for bringing this document to my attention. It is kept in the Columbiana Collection—College Papers Miscellaneous—D.

^{page 1068 note 22} John Henry Hobart (1775–1830). Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Soon after his installation as assistant minister at Trinity Church (1807), he was elected a member of the board of trustees of Columbia College, and served in this capacity for many years, becoming a leader in its expansion.

^{page 1069 note 23} The numbers in parentheses refer to the total number of works listed under each heading.

^{page 1069 note 24} The letters C and LC after the titles indicate respectively that the works are included in the Catalogue of the Boohs and Pamphlets in the Library of Columbia College (New York: John W. Amerman, Printer, N. Y., 1874), and/or the Alphabetical Catalogue of the Library of Congress: Authors. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1864.) This would indicate that these are probably the only works that Da Ponte actually succeeded in selling to these libraries.

^{page 1071 note 25} MS in Columbiana Collection, Columbia University Library.

^{page 1072 note 26} Da Ponte, op. cit., pp. 488–489.

^{page 1072 note 27} Ibid., p. 489.