Arnstein has sent him a sheet to have signed by his father, 500 ducats to be settled in other countries’ currencies. Not knowing himself how his trip will go, he has asked the banker to consolidate all his expenses into a single letter of credit, which he will send to his father.
Lieber Vater,[a] Arnstein[b] überschickt mir dieß Blatt um es Ihnen zur unterfertigung zu senden. Er sagt das „Ohngefähr[1] fünftausend ducaten“[2] aus der Ursache weil es in andern Geld Sorten berechnet werden muß, wenn ich nicht gar zu große procenten verlieren soll. Ich glaube indessen, daß Sie keine Schwierigkeit machen sollten es zu unterfertigen, da es seiner Seits doch nichts als eine Vorsichtsmaßregel ist, die man keinem Menschen Übel nehmen kann.[c] ~~
An mir schrieb er,[d] daß, nachdem sowohl in Florenz als auch Constantinopel andre Geld Sorten coursiren ich mich entscheiden sollte, wie viel ich in einem, und wie viel in dem andern auszugeben gedenke? – Da ich aber von so vielen Umständen abhenge, und selbst nicht weiß, wie meine Reise vor sich gehen wird, so habe[3] ich Ihn gebethen, es dennoch auf einem einzigem Credits Brief, wenn es möglich ist zu combiniren — Sollte es gehen, so wünschte ich, daß er diesen Credits-[4]Brief dem er mir zu geben versprach, nur Euer Gnaden überschicke; Sontag zu Mittag werde ich dan das Glück haben es von Ihren eigenen Händen zu übernehmen, der ich mit aller Ehrfurcht, einem gutem Morgen wünsche
Stepherl
Samstag früh[e]
[1] The form of the determiner ‘ungefähr’ used in the 18th and 19th centuries.
[2] Széchenyi’s underlining with wavy line.
[3] Corrected word.
[4] Interlining afterwards.
[a] The letters written by Széchenyi during his journey to the East were collected in a separate unit in the family archives. Iván Paur, the archivist of the Széchenyi family, gave the collection, which once contained 53 letters, now 37, the title “Count István Széchenyi’s 53 letters from Turkey and Greece”. On the outer leaf of the first item of the letter bundle, i.e. on the outside of the present letter, Ferenc Széchényi wrote “Stephis Credit Brief v 5000 #”. To this Paur later added “Letter from Count István Széchényi to his father, Count Ferenc Széchényi, about a bond of 5,000 gold pieces to be issued at Arnstein & Eskeles for the costs of his planned journey to Italy, the issued and cashed bond attached. Original without date (Vienna, July 1818).”
[b] Baron Nathan Adam Arnstein (1748–1838) Viennese banker. In 1805, together with banker Bernhard von Eskeles, he founded the banking house Arnstein & Eskeles, which was the dominant financial institution in Austria for three decades.
[c] The Viennese banking house Arnstein & Eskeles, which financed Széchenyi’s travels to the East, was only willing to advance the 5,000 ducats requested for this purpose on condition that Ferenc Széchényi sign the promissory note, issued by Széchenyi, as a guarantor. The annexes are not enclosed with the letter.
[d] The letter is unknown.
[e] The letter was written just before Széchenyi’s journey to the East.
Recommended reference:
István Széchenyi to Ferenc Széchényi, Vienna, 11 July 1818. Edited and annotated by Szilvia Czinege. Published in Correspondence of István Széchenyi. Digital edition. Edited by Szilvia Czinege and Zoltán Fónagy. https://szechenyilevelezes.abtk.hu/ Abbreviation for further references: SzIL-Digit.