GE to Francois D'Albert-Durade, London, 15 June 1861
Title
GE to Francois D'Albert-Durade, London, 15 June 1861
Title
GE to Francois D'Albert-Durade, London, 15 June 1861
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Francois D'Albert-Durade
Date(s)
- 1861-06-15
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Francois D'Albert-Durade, London, 15 June 1861
Text: Copy by D'Albert-Durade, Tinker Collection, Yale. Hitherto unpublished.
Blandford Square, | June 15. 1861.
Dear Friend
Only last night we returned from Italy, whither we started on the 19th of April! We went through France and along the coast of the Mediterranean, and for some time I entertained the hope that we should return by way of Geneva and see you and Maman. That was the reason I did not answer your letter, which was forwarded to me at Florence. I wished to wait until I could say absolutely that we should see you. But destiny said "No." We lingered too long at Florence, and were obliged to hasten home in order to meet a person 783 who had been awaiting us in London. We therefore took the shortest way -- across the St. Gothard, by Lucerne, to Bern -- where we saw our youngest boy (still at Hofwyl) -- and here we are at home again, and at an impossible distance from certain dear people whose letters of kind anxiety at my silence were among the first things that occupied me on my entrance into our dining room.
I have been written to by a French lady for permission to translate "Silas Marner." But I have told her that the right of translation was reserved for you. Since we returned, however, we have been made aware by a letter from the German publisher Duncker, 784 who had agreed to purchase the right to translate Silas Marner into German, that my publisher Blackwood has forgotten to have inserted the necessary formula reserving the right of translation on the title page. I am sorry for this on your account as it may interfere with your translation, [transactions?] about publishing, though indeed, according to the rate of procedure of publication of "Adam" and "The Mill," the year of possible reservation is likely enough to have elapsed with "Silas," as it had long done with "Adam" and "The Mill" before your translation can get published, so that the lapse of my English publishers may after all make no difference.
I quite forget what were the facts I wrote to you about Hetzel, having long dismissed the matter from my mind. As to the probability that Dentu has issued more copies of "Adam" than he has accounted for to Georg 785 -- nothing but an integrity very rare among publishers can secure a man against the fraud, when once he lets the printing go out of his own hands. I hope, however, that Georg will not be a positive loser. "Silas" has been very successful in England, and possibly its smaller size makes it seem a more tempting speculation to him. But I hate writing about the money aspect of my books. I am thankful, very thankful for the honest gain that comes with honest work, but I like to feel that I have done with my book when it is once fairly written, and happily my English publisher is a man of such high character that few authors can get their business transacted more simply than I do.
As to the "Physiology of Common Life" we are pleased to hear that you are interested in it. Some time ago my husband received a proposition for its translation into French, and the work may by this time be somewhat advanced. It has been translated into German by the eminent physiologist Victor Carus. 786 The second part, containing the considerations on the Nervous System, could hardly be translated by any one who was not well versed both in physiological and psychological science: accomplishment in language generally would not suffice without special knowledge.
We seem destined to give you fruitless trouble about schools. Mr. Trollope, since we wrote to you on his behalf, has changed his mind, having been dissuaded by the present tutor of his boys at Winchester from sending them abroad until they are much more matured. We are grateful to you for the trouble you have kindly taken, but feel some regret that you should have been led into asking it in vain.
I write under some hurry and much heat (of temperature, not of temper) this morning, and I half fear I may have scarcely said precisely what I mean. I have certainly not said half what I feel of affectionate regret that I have had to pass through Switzerland without seeing Maman and you. I am sure she will excuse my not answering her welcome letter directly under the flutter of my first morning at home. I decided not to delay answering you after my long silence, as a smaller evil than answering you with some hurry. Ever, dear Friend, with deep regard to Maman and yourself
Yours faithfully
M. E. Lewes.
Text: Copy by D'Albert-Durade, Tinker Collection, Yale. Hitherto unpublished.
Blandford Square, | June 15. 1861.
Dear Friend
Only last night we returned from Italy, whither we started on the 19th of April! We went through France and along the coast of the Mediterranean, and for some time I entertained the hope that we should return by way of Geneva and see you and Maman. That was the reason I did not answer your letter, which was forwarded to me at Florence. I wished to wait until I could say absolutely that we should see you. But destiny said "No." We lingered too long at Florence, and were obliged to hasten home in order to meet a person 783 who had been awaiting us in London. We therefore took the shortest way -- across the St. Gothard, by Lucerne, to Bern -- where we saw our youngest boy (still at Hofwyl) -- and here we are at home again, and at an impossible distance from certain dear people whose letters of kind anxiety at my silence were among the first things that occupied me on my entrance into our dining room.
I have been written to by a French lady for permission to translate "Silas Marner." But I have told her that the right of translation was reserved for you. Since we returned, however, we have been made aware by a letter from the German publisher Duncker, 784 who had agreed to purchase the right to translate Silas Marner into German, that my publisher Blackwood has forgotten to have inserted the necessary formula reserving the right of translation on the title page. I am sorry for this on your account as it may interfere with your translation, [transactions?] about publishing, though indeed, according to the rate of procedure of publication of "Adam" and "The Mill," the year of possible reservation is likely enough to have elapsed with "Silas," as it had long done with "Adam" and "The Mill" before your translation can get published, so that the lapse of my English publishers may after all make no difference.
I quite forget what were the facts I wrote to you about Hetzel, having long dismissed the matter from my mind. As to the probability that Dentu has issued more copies of "Adam" than he has accounted for to Georg 785 -- nothing but an integrity very rare among publishers can secure a man against the fraud, when once he lets the printing go out of his own hands. I hope, however, that Georg will not be a positive loser. "Silas" has been very successful in England, and possibly its smaller size makes it seem a more tempting speculation to him. But I hate writing about the money aspect of my books. I am thankful, very thankful for the honest gain that comes with honest work, but I like to feel that I have done with my book when it is once fairly written, and happily my English publisher is a man of such high character that few authors can get their business transacted more simply than I do.
As to the "Physiology of Common Life" we are pleased to hear that you are interested in it. Some time ago my husband received a proposition for its translation into French, and the work may by this time be somewhat advanced. It has been translated into German by the eminent physiologist Victor Carus. 786 The second part, containing the considerations on the Nervous System, could hardly be translated by any one who was not well versed both in physiological and psychological science: accomplishment in language generally would not suffice without special knowledge.
We seem destined to give you fruitless trouble about schools. Mr. Trollope, since we wrote to you on his behalf, has changed his mind, having been dissuaded by the present tutor of his boys at Winchester from sending them abroad until they are much more matured. We are grateful to you for the trouble you have kindly taken, but feel some regret that you should have been led into asking it in vain.
I write under some hurry and much heat (of temperature, not of temper) this morning, and I half fear I may have scarcely said precisely what I mean. I have certainly not said half what I feel of affectionate regret that I have had to pass through Switzerland without seeing Maman and you. I am sure she will excuse my not answering her welcome letter directly under the flutter of my first morning at home. I decided not to delay answering you after my long silence, as a smaller evil than answering you with some hurry. Ever, dear Friend, with deep regard to Maman and yourself
Yours faithfully
M. E. Lewes.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Francois D'Albert-Durade, London, 15 June 1861, 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/92345