GE to John Blackwood, Wandsworth, 30 November 1859
Title
GE to John Blackwood, Wandsworth, 30 November 1859
Title
GE to John Blackwood, Wandsworth, 30 November 1859
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1859-11-30
Place
Wandsworth
Letter Content
GE to John Blackwood, Wandsworth, 30 November 1859
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Holly Lodge | November 30. 59.
My dear Sir
It is clear that there has been a misunderstanding between us, and I will try to explain my part of it.
The first thing that hurt me was this. When you were in town and we were discussing the publication of my next book, you declared yourself strongly desirous to have it for the Magazine, and in answering Mr. Lewes's arguments for serial publication, you observed that you thought you could make the appearance of my story in Maga answer quite as well for me in a monetary point of view. Some months afterwards, when the success of "Adam Bede," having been in a perpetual crescendo, had heightened the prospects of my next book, I began to have increased doubt as to the prudence of publishing in Maga, thinking that, with my assured public, you would hardly be able to compensate me for certain disadvantages, some of which I had already mentioned to you as connected with the periodical publication of my story. Still, as you had seemed to wish it strongly, I desired to lay before you all my thoughts on the matter, that you might reconsider it. It was possible that you had contemplated an arrangement which would supersede my objections. I therefore wrote to you from Weymouth, putting before you as clearly and frankly as I knew how, all the reasons which disinclined me to publish in Maga, and expressing my doubt whether you would find it worth your while to give me such extra remuneration on the ground of that publication as would neutralize these reasons. In your reply, you took no notice whatever of the specific contents of my letter, but stated that you would give me "at least as much" for publication in Maga as in any other way. I think you will perceive, on reconsideration, that this reply was a stultification of my letter. Your proposition at the same time to publish the story without the name of George Eliot seemed to me (rendered doubly sensitive by the recent withdrawal of my incognito) part of a depreciatory view that ran through your whole letter, in contrast with the usual delicacy and generosity of your tone.
Still, I am aware that letters are peculiarly liable to misinterpretation, and in writing to decline your proposition, I had no thought of any breach, or of any inference on your part that I did not look forward to your publishing "Maggie" in three volumes. At that time I had received no offer from publishers but such as you were aware of, hence, you will perecive that the words in your letter of yesterday -- "I would be the very last man who would wish for a moment to stand in the way of your doing what you thought best for yourself, but I think I should have been told so frankly, instead of having my offer treated as if it were worth no consideration at all" -- are words which have no proper application to any conduct of mine. I have never written to you with any double or suppressed intention. In fact, I had not dreamed that there was any doubt in your mind as to my expectation that you would publish "Maggie" until Mr. Langford, a short time ago, in conversation with Mr. Lewes, appeared to presuppose that you would not publish it.
After this, came what appeared to us, a manifestation of indifference to my wishes, if not to my interests, in the matter of Newby, which was hardly what was due from publisher to author or from friend to friend. On all hands we have heard surprize expressed at your silence. And, in declining to write to the Times, to write to the Athenaeum, a paper which has grossly insulted me, to ask them to insert a paragraph without the mention of your name, 408 indicated, I thought, a forgetfulness which implied a very considerable alteration of feeling towards me.
This is the chapter of my unpleasant impressions, which at length became so strong, that I determined to write and ask you a simple question, that our mutual feeling might be ascertained. But up to this moment, I have said to every one that the Messrs. Blackwood are my publishers, and that I see no reason to leave them; but the contrary. It was important to me on every ground to know that I was not speaking on a false basis; for if you did not wish to publish for me, I should necessarily be in a different attitude towards proposals which I have hitherto waived.
I prefer, in every sense, permanent relations to shifting ones, and have the strongest distaste for the odour of mere money speculation about my writing. Moreover, I should be sorry to entertain any exorbitant notions, inconsistent with a rational, just regard to other people's motives and interests. But I may say without cant -- since I am in a position of anxiety for others as well as myself -- that it is my duty to seek not less than the highest reasonable advantage from my work. It did appear to Mr. Lewes and myself that, for the sum you mentioned, it would be unwise to give up my book for five years, losing time also by a slow form of publication.
I must express my sincere regret that my mode of acknowledging to yourself and Major Blackwood your honourable intention to give me a further sum of 'a3400, doubling the sum you were under agreement to give me, should have appeared to you curt and unresponsive. I had expressed myself, I thought, so strongly on previous occasions, that I had no apprehension of your suspecting me of insusceptibility on such points, and the simple "thank you" seems the most natural thing between people who understand each other.
I hope, at all events, that we have cleared the air, and that whatever may seem dubious in future may not be left without an immediate request for explanation. There is no reason, that I can see, for anything but the utmost frankness and explicitness on both sides.
Always yours truly
Marian Evans Lewes.
John Blackwood Esq.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Holly Lodge | November 30. 59.
My dear Sir
It is clear that there has been a misunderstanding between us, and I will try to explain my part of it.
The first thing that hurt me was this. When you were in town and we were discussing the publication of my next book, you declared yourself strongly desirous to have it for the Magazine, and in answering Mr. Lewes's arguments for serial publication, you observed that you thought you could make the appearance of my story in Maga answer quite as well for me in a monetary point of view. Some months afterwards, when the success of "Adam Bede," having been in a perpetual crescendo, had heightened the prospects of my next book, I began to have increased doubt as to the prudence of publishing in Maga, thinking that, with my assured public, you would hardly be able to compensate me for certain disadvantages, some of which I had already mentioned to you as connected with the periodical publication of my story. Still, as you had seemed to wish it strongly, I desired to lay before you all my thoughts on the matter, that you might reconsider it. It was possible that you had contemplated an arrangement which would supersede my objections. I therefore wrote to you from Weymouth, putting before you as clearly and frankly as I knew how, all the reasons which disinclined me to publish in Maga, and expressing my doubt whether you would find it worth your while to give me such extra remuneration on the ground of that publication as would neutralize these reasons. In your reply, you took no notice whatever of the specific contents of my letter, but stated that you would give me "at least as much" for publication in Maga as in any other way. I think you will perceive, on reconsideration, that this reply was a stultification of my letter. Your proposition at the same time to publish the story without the name of George Eliot seemed to me (rendered doubly sensitive by the recent withdrawal of my incognito) part of a depreciatory view that ran through your whole letter, in contrast with the usual delicacy and generosity of your tone.
Still, I am aware that letters are peculiarly liable to misinterpretation, and in writing to decline your proposition, I had no thought of any breach, or of any inference on your part that I did not look forward to your publishing "Maggie" in three volumes. At that time I had received no offer from publishers but such as you were aware of, hence, you will perecive that the words in your letter of yesterday -- "I would be the very last man who would wish for a moment to stand in the way of your doing what you thought best for yourself, but I think I should have been told so frankly, instead of having my offer treated as if it were worth no consideration at all" -- are words which have no proper application to any conduct of mine. I have never written to you with any double or suppressed intention. In fact, I had not dreamed that there was any doubt in your mind as to my expectation that you would publish "Maggie" until Mr. Langford, a short time ago, in conversation with Mr. Lewes, appeared to presuppose that you would not publish it.
After this, came what appeared to us, a manifestation of indifference to my wishes, if not to my interests, in the matter of Newby, which was hardly what was due from publisher to author or from friend to friend. On all hands we have heard surprize expressed at your silence. And, in declining to write to the Times, to write to the Athenaeum, a paper which has grossly insulted me, to ask them to insert a paragraph without the mention of your name, 408 indicated, I thought, a forgetfulness which implied a very considerable alteration of feeling towards me.
This is the chapter of my unpleasant impressions, which at length became so strong, that I determined to write and ask you a simple question, that our mutual feeling might be ascertained. But up to this moment, I have said to every one that the Messrs. Blackwood are my publishers, and that I see no reason to leave them; but the contrary. It was important to me on every ground to know that I was not speaking on a false basis; for if you did not wish to publish for me, I should necessarily be in a different attitude towards proposals which I have hitherto waived.
I prefer, in every sense, permanent relations to shifting ones, and have the strongest distaste for the odour of mere money speculation about my writing. Moreover, I should be sorry to entertain any exorbitant notions, inconsistent with a rational, just regard to other people's motives and interests. But I may say without cant -- since I am in a position of anxiety for others as well as myself -- that it is my duty to seek not less than the highest reasonable advantage from my work. It did appear to Mr. Lewes and myself that, for the sum you mentioned, it would be unwise to give up my book for five years, losing time also by a slow form of publication.
I must express my sincere regret that my mode of acknowledging to yourself and Major Blackwood your honourable intention to give me a further sum of 'a3400, doubling the sum you were under agreement to give me, should have appeared to you curt and unresponsive. I had expressed myself, I thought, so strongly on previous occasions, that I had no apprehension of your suspecting me of insusceptibility on such points, and the simple "thank you" seems the most natural thing between people who understand each other.
I hope, at all events, that we have cleared the air, and that whatever may seem dubious in future may not be left without an immediate request for explanation. There is no reason, that I can see, for anything but the utmost frankness and explicitness on both sides.
Always yours truly
Marian Evans Lewes.
John Blackwood Esq.
Signature
Marian Evans Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to John Blackwood, Wandsworth, 30 November 1859, 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/92752