Tuesday 3 July

Sir Francis and
Gentlemen

Having been called
upon to name such works
as I should wish to contri=
bute to the Paris Exhibition
of 1878 my thoughts at
once turn to the Statue
which you have honored
by purchasing it under the

Chantry Bequest _ and I
write to ask the great favor
of being permitted to send
it to Paris next Spring_
I am fully alive to the diffi:
culties that surround the
granting of this request
and it is not without
great diffidence that I
make it. _ Perhaps it
may remove some portion
of those difficulties if I
engage as I am perfectly
--------------------------------
ready personally to do _ to replace
the statue by a duplicate
in every respect like it should
any accident or grave
misadventure befall it
during its’ absence from
your roof. Hoping that
you may feel it in your
power to give me a favorable
reply I remain Sir Francis
and Gentlemen
Obediently Yours
Fred Leighton

M^r Leighton R.A.
Requests permission to send “Athlete strangling
a Python” Chantrey Work to Paris
Exhibition of 1878
July 3. 1877
Copy of reply refusing
Aug. 11.1877