GE to William Blackwood, London, 15 May 1879
Title
GE to William Blackwood, London, 15 May 1879
Title
GE to William Blackwood, London, 15 May 1879
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
William Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1879-05-15
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to William Blackwood, London, 15 May 1879
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
May 15. 79.
My dear Mr. William
I am grieved to hear of Mr. Blackwood's new attack. Pray tell me how he goes on.
Since Theophrastus is sure to be translated when the copyright expires
(I speak from observation and experience of the German appetite for translating) we may as well allow it to be translated now. Dr. Lehmann gave Mr. Lewes £20 for the right to translate "Actors and Acting." Mr. Lewes purposely put that price on the right as high enough to hinder the translation which he did not care to have made. Hence I should think £25 would be a fair enough sum -- if Mr. Blackwood and you do not judge otherwise. Paetel gave me £100 for translation of Deronda, but I see Duncker only gave £30 for the translation of Middlemarch. Of course, the publisher having to pay the translator as well as other expenses, he cannot afford anything like what should be given for the right of reprinting. I wish to be reasonable in all things, but the reading of my books has spread greatly in Germany of late years, and you know that there is no effective reduction of prices to the public in consequence of one's asking less than a publisher or translator is willing to give.
I see the Dutchman Van Druten gave me £25 for the translation of Middlemarch but £40 for the translation of Deronda. Certainly £10 for the one volume of Theophrastus is not out of proportion to those prices. But I don't mind about it. It might be as well to accept it, unless there were a chance of a better offer after the appearance of the Book. Just as you think wise. I suppose Harper is to send at once the £50 promised in advance. 237
The covers are just come by a later post. I choose the grey with the gilt centre. But I think that the stamping on the underside should be also black, with a black centre. 238 The stamping on this grey cloth shows no shadow and looks poor without the black. I see one of the other covers has a centre on both sides, and looks the better for it. The lettering is very good.
Yours always sincerely
M. E. Lewes.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
May 15. 79.
My dear Mr. William
I am grieved to hear of Mr. Blackwood's new attack. Pray tell me how he goes on.
Since Theophrastus is sure to be translated when the copyright expires
(I speak from observation and experience of the German appetite for translating) we may as well allow it to be translated now. Dr. Lehmann gave Mr. Lewes £20 for the right to translate "Actors and Acting." Mr. Lewes purposely put that price on the right as high enough to hinder the translation which he did not care to have made. Hence I should think £25 would be a fair enough sum -- if Mr. Blackwood and you do not judge otherwise. Paetel gave me £100 for translation of Deronda, but I see Duncker only gave £30 for the translation of Middlemarch. Of course, the publisher having to pay the translator as well as other expenses, he cannot afford anything like what should be given for the right of reprinting. I wish to be reasonable in all things, but the reading of my books has spread greatly in Germany of late years, and you know that there is no effective reduction of prices to the public in consequence of one's asking less than a publisher or translator is willing to give.
I see the Dutchman Van Druten gave me £25 for the translation of Middlemarch but £40 for the translation of Deronda. Certainly £10 for the one volume of Theophrastus is not out of proportion to those prices. But I don't mind about it. It might be as well to accept it, unless there were a chance of a better offer after the appearance of the Book. Just as you think wise. I suppose Harper is to send at once the £50 promised in advance. 237
The covers are just come by a later post. I choose the grey with the gilt centre. But I think that the stamping on the underside should be also black, with a black centre. 238 The stamping on this grey cloth shows no shadow and looks poor without the black. I see one of the other covers has a centre on both sides, and looks the better for it. The lettering is very good.
Yours always sincerely
M. E. Lewes.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to William Blackwood, London, 15 May 1879, 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/94189