GE to Emanuel Deutsch, London, 16 December 1867
Title
GE to Emanuel Deutsch, London, 16 December 1867
Title
GE to Emanuel Deutsch, London, 16 December 1867
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Emanuel Deutsch
Date(s)
- 1867-12-16
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Emanuel Deutsch, London, 16 December 1867
MS: Clark Memorial Library, University of California. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
December 16. 67.
Dear Mr. Deutsch
We have been thinking of you much since you parted from us yesterday, and have made ourselves all the more indignant at the buzzing and stinging which is tormenting you. 711 I beseech you not to battle with it. Escape from it -- mentally, I mean, by working steadily without reference to any temporary chit-chat, whether silly, ignorant or envious. Of course the noise of admiration is always half of it contemptible in its quality, and as besotting as bad wine if a man lets himself take too much of it. And the spite, the head-shaking, the depreciation that come as a consequence, are the muddier reflux of muddy waters. Get rid of it all by a huge effort of will, and don't run the risk of being maddened by insect stings. Let your articles be what they please -- are you accountable to the world for the fuss they have made about it? If wiseacres say it has been over-rated -- was it by a conspiracy of yours that the Quarterly went into six editions? Let the quarrel fight itself out, but resolve that no editorial or other influence shall drag you into it.
Only when a definite accusation is made, meet it by a definite answer. The ill-nature and nonsense you are suffering from can have no permanent influence against you except by your allowing it to determine you to write or act with reference to what I may call a coach-journey as compared to your whole career and purpose. If you keep complete possession of yourself and refuse to lend yourself at small interest, you must be ultimately judged by the knowledge, the ideas, the power of any sort that you give positive evidence of.
It has been a painful thought to me that we should have told you we wavered, and almost wished you gone away from this Babel. It was a sort of figure in Mr. Lewes's speech last night -- he only meant to impress on you his sense of the need that you should keep yourself in calm air. You do not believe that we can help, beneath all, rejoicing that you are not gone on that frightfully uncertain journey.
Believe too, if it is worth thinking about, that we at least are not weather cocks -- I will not say, "at least" -- there are many more who delight to trust in and admire you.
I am writing almost in the dark -- take everything as the hurried outpouring of sincere regard from
Yours faithfully
M. E. Lewes.
MS: Clark Memorial Library, University of California. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
December 16. 67.
Dear Mr. Deutsch
We have been thinking of you much since you parted from us yesterday, and have made ourselves all the more indignant at the buzzing and stinging which is tormenting you. 711 I beseech you not to battle with it. Escape from it -- mentally, I mean, by working steadily without reference to any temporary chit-chat, whether silly, ignorant or envious. Of course the noise of admiration is always half of it contemptible in its quality, and as besotting as bad wine if a man lets himself take too much of it. And the spite, the head-shaking, the depreciation that come as a consequence, are the muddier reflux of muddy waters. Get rid of it all by a huge effort of will, and don't run the risk of being maddened by insect stings. Let your articles be what they please -- are you accountable to the world for the fuss they have made about it? If wiseacres say it has been over-rated -- was it by a conspiracy of yours that the Quarterly went into six editions? Let the quarrel fight itself out, but resolve that no editorial or other influence shall drag you into it.
Only when a definite accusation is made, meet it by a definite answer. The ill-nature and nonsense you are suffering from can have no permanent influence against you except by your allowing it to determine you to write or act with reference to what I may call a coach-journey as compared to your whole career and purpose. If you keep complete possession of yourself and refuse to lend yourself at small interest, you must be ultimately judged by the knowledge, the ideas, the power of any sort that you give positive evidence of.
It has been a painful thought to me that we should have told you we wavered, and almost wished you gone away from this Babel. It was a sort of figure in Mr. Lewes's speech last night -- he only meant to impress on you his sense of the need that you should keep yourself in calm air. You do not believe that we can help, beneath all, rejoicing that you are not gone on that frightfully uncertain journey.
Believe too, if it is worth thinking about, that we at least are not weather cocks -- I will not say, "at least" -- there are many more who delight to trust in and admire you.
I am writing almost in the dark -- take everything as the hurried outpouring of sincere regard from
Yours faithfully
M. E. Lewes.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Emanuel Deutsch, London, 16 December 1867, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/92302