SIR,--Your letter of to-day inclosing the Vote of the President and Fellows of Har'd University in relation to the Professorship of Mod'n Lang's has been received, and in expressing anew my desire to meet your wishes fully in the matter before us, I beg leave to defer an official answer until my return from the South, in about three weeks hence. In the mean time may I take the liberty of calling your attention once more to the subject of our last conversation? I feel it important that I should be regularly appointed before sailing for Europe. Otherwise I present myself as any private individual whatever. But if I go as one of your professors, I carry with me in that very circumstance my best letter of recommendation. It gives me a character--and a greater claim to attention abroad, than I can otherwise take with me. Judge Story is ready to consent to this arrangement--so is Mr. Gray--so is Mr. Ticknor. If you could bring the subject once more before the corporation, I think the objections suggested by you when I saw you this morning will be found to give way before the good results, which I think may be reasonably anticipated from change in your vote where respectfully suggested. Very respect'y y'r. Ob'e. Ser't. HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.{31} BOSTON, Jan'y 1, 1834. [Error for 1835.] HON. JOSIAH QUINCY: SIR,--Placing entire confidence in the assurances of the President and Fellows of Harvard University in reference to my election to the Smith Professorship of Modern Languages and Belles Lettres in that institution, which assurances were communicated to me in y'r favor of 1st January, together with their Vote upon the subject,--I have the honor to inform you, that I shall sail for Europe in the month of April next, and remain there till the summer of 1836. Very respectfully HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.{32} PORTLAND, February 3, 1835. His first book, in a strict sense, published before his departure, was his translation of the "Coplas of Jorge Manrique" (1833), in which were added to the main poem a few translations of sonnets, the whole being prefaced with an article from "The North American Review" on the "Moral and Devotional Poetry of Spain." It was these works which had attracted the attention of Professor Ticknor, and had led to results so important. The young professor sailed at the time mentioned, accompanied by his wife and two young ladies, her friends.