GE to John Blackwood, London, 4 April 1861
Title
GE to John Blackwood, London, 4 April 1861
Title
GE to John Blackwood, London, 4 April 1861
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1861-04-04
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to John Blackwood, London, 4 April 1861
MS: National Library of Scotland. Extracts published: Cross, II, 295-296.
Blandford Square, | N.W.
April 4. 61.
My dear Sir
I am much obliged to you for your punctuality in sending me my precious cheque. I prize the money fruit of my labour very highly as the means of saving us dependence or the degradation of writing when we are no longer able to write well or to write what we have not written before.
Mr. Langford brought us word on Tuesday 731 that he thought the total subscription (including Scotland and Ireland) would mount to 5500. That is really very great. And letters drop in from time to time giving me words of strong encouragement -- especially about the Mill; so that I have reason to be cheerful, and to believe that where one has a large public, one's words must hit their mark. If it were not for that, special cases of misinterpretation might paralyze me. For example, when you read McMillan, pray notice how my critic attributes to me a disdain for Tom: 732 as if it were not my respect for Tom which infused itself into my reader -- as if he could have respected Tom, if I had not painted him with respect; the exhibition of the right on both sides being the very soul of my intention in the story. However, I ought to be satisfied if I have roused the feeling that does justice to both sides.
Drolly enough, the Daily Review came to us yesterday with the part we were desired to see carefully cut off.
Mr. Lewes begs me to ask you to let him see the Times if there should be a review of "Silas" in it; 733 as otherwise the review may pass by and he may not know of it.
Ever yours truly
M. E. Lewes.
John Blackwood Esq.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Extracts published: Cross, II, 295-296.
Blandford Square, | N.W.
April 4. 61.
My dear Sir
I am much obliged to you for your punctuality in sending me my precious cheque. I prize the money fruit of my labour very highly as the means of saving us dependence or the degradation of writing when we are no longer able to write well or to write what we have not written before.
Mr. Langford brought us word on Tuesday 731 that he thought the total subscription (including Scotland and Ireland) would mount to 5500. That is really very great. And letters drop in from time to time giving me words of strong encouragement -- especially about the Mill; so that I have reason to be cheerful, and to believe that where one has a large public, one's words must hit their mark. If it were not for that, special cases of misinterpretation might paralyze me. For example, when you read McMillan, pray notice how my critic attributes to me a disdain for Tom: 732 as if it were not my respect for Tom which infused itself into my reader -- as if he could have respected Tom, if I had not painted him with respect; the exhibition of the right on both sides being the very soul of my intention in the story. However, I ought to be satisfied if I have roused the feeling that does justice to both sides.
Drolly enough, the Daily Review came to us yesterday with the part we were desired to see carefully cut off.
Mr. Lewes begs me to ask you to let him see the Times if there should be a review of "Silas" in it; 733 as otherwise the review may pass by and he may not know of it.
Ever yours truly
M. E. Lewes.
John Blackwood Esq.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to John Blackwood, London, 4 April 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/92680