GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, [8 February 1862]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, [8 February 1862]
Title
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, [8 February 1862]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Sara Sophia Hennell
Date(s)
- 1862-02-08
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, [8 February 1862]
MS: Yale. Endorsed. Feb. 8. Extracts published: Cross, II, 333.
Blandford Sq. | Saturday.
Dear Sara
Mr. Spencer has made an arrangement with Williams and Norgate, but it would be useless for you to think of them, as they rejected Mr. Spencer at first, and were only induced to accede to his proposition by Mr. Huxley's recommendations. They are not, you know, in the midstream of publishing. 20
Mr. Lewes thinks the best thing you could do would be to go to
Trubner 21 whom he knows very well and likes. There is one drawback, which deterred Mr. Spencer from arranging with him: it is, that you will have 15 per cent deducted for commission. The reason is that T. employs a country traveller, who charges 5 per cent on all copies disposed of to country booksellers; Tr'fcbner himself taking the usual commission of 10 per cent. This extra 5 per cent would of course not be deducted in the case of copies ordered directly from the publisher by private persons. The extra charge is a pity, but Mr. Lewes thinks that, under all the circumstances, you would do better to put up with it than to seek among other publishers. Tr'fcbner is a clever and very hearty German, with a good deal of culture. The doctrinal aspect of your books would be of no importance to him either personally or commercially.
Apropos of your previous letter -- we shall not, I think, go abroad this spring. I am wondering whether you and Cara could spare me, for a few weeks, the Tempest Music and any other vocal music of that or of a kindred species? I don't want to buy it until our singers have experimented upon it. Don't think of sending me anything that you are using at all, but if said music be lying idle, I should be grateful for the loan. We have several operas: Don Giovanni, Figaro, the Barbiere, Flauto Magico -- and also the music of Macbeth, but I think that is all our stock of concerted vocal music.
Ever yours
Pollian.
MS: Yale. Endorsed. Feb. 8. Extracts published: Cross, II, 333.
Blandford Sq. | Saturday.
Dear Sara
Mr. Spencer has made an arrangement with Williams and Norgate, but it would be useless for you to think of them, as they rejected Mr. Spencer at first, and were only induced to accede to his proposition by Mr. Huxley's recommendations. They are not, you know, in the midstream of publishing. 20
Mr. Lewes thinks the best thing you could do would be to go to
Trubner 21 whom he knows very well and likes. There is one drawback, which deterred Mr. Spencer from arranging with him: it is, that you will have 15 per cent deducted for commission. The reason is that T. employs a country traveller, who charges 5 per cent on all copies disposed of to country booksellers; Tr'fcbner himself taking the usual commission of 10 per cent. This extra 5 per cent would of course not be deducted in the case of copies ordered directly from the publisher by private persons. The extra charge is a pity, but Mr. Lewes thinks that, under all the circumstances, you would do better to put up with it than to seek among other publishers. Tr'fcbner is a clever and very hearty German, with a good deal of culture. The doctrinal aspect of your books would be of no importance to him either personally or commercially.
Apropos of your previous letter -- we shall not, I think, go abroad this spring. I am wondering whether you and Cara could spare me, for a few weeks, the Tempest Music and any other vocal music of that or of a kindred species? I don't want to buy it until our singers have experimented upon it. Don't think of sending me anything that you are using at all, but if said music be lying idle, I should be grateful for the loan. We have several operas: Don Giovanni, Figaro, the Barbiere, Flauto Magico -- and also the music of Macbeth, but I think that is all our stock of concerted vocal music.
Ever yours
Pollian.
Signature
Pollian.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Sara Sophia Hennell, London, [8 February 1862], 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/93975