GHL to Henry George Bohn, Ilfracombe, 8 June 1856
Title
GHL to Henry George Bohn, Ilfracombe, 8 June 1856
Title
GHL to Henry George Bohn, Ilfracombe, 8 June 1856
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
Henry George Bohn
Date(s)
- 1856-06-08
Place
Ilfracombe
Letter Content
GHL to Henry George Bohn, Ilfracombe, 8 June 1856
MS: Yale.
(Copy)
Runnymede Villa | Ilfracombe.
June 8th 1856.
Dear Sir
Your letter has greatly surprised me. I send you a literal copy of the memorandum drawn up by your son, and you "think there must be some mistake in my recollection of what was intended between us." Surely you cannot have read my letter with &unknown;very&unknown; attention?
Then again as to the delay. I spoke frequently to your son about the work being in progress and occasionally even to yourself, long before the m.s. was in your hands.
The reprint of the old translation was agreed on by us, and you gave me the volume for that purpose. The only difference being that if my Introduction and extracts from the other works occupied too great a space, it was not to be printed entire, but some portions of it abridged. As however I deemed it necessary that the work should, if possible, be entire, I have so contrived it.
You forget that the 75£ covers not only cost of editing but the translation of the Ethics, which is entirely new and has never been translated before.
&unknown;I confess not to understand one passage in your letter where you allude to there being no "signed agreement," as I cannot suppose an honorable man thinks a memorandum less binding than a regular bond.&unknown; You may remember that when Spinoza was first entertained and Mr. Kelly was to translate &unknown;it, I&unknown; the works I asked 50£ for the editing alone; and declined to accept less. Subsequently we talked the matter over, and arranged to get the whole of what was necessary in one volume for 75£; and this is what your son records in his memorandum.
MS: Yale.
(Copy)
Runnymede Villa | Ilfracombe.
June 8th 1856.
Dear Sir
Your letter has greatly surprised me. I send you a literal copy of the memorandum drawn up by your son, and you "think there must be some mistake in my recollection of what was intended between us." Surely you cannot have read my letter with &unknown;very&unknown; attention?
Then again as to the delay. I spoke frequently to your son about the work being in progress and occasionally even to yourself, long before the m.s. was in your hands.
The reprint of the old translation was agreed on by us, and you gave me the volume for that purpose. The only difference being that if my Introduction and extracts from the other works occupied too great a space, it was not to be printed entire, but some portions of it abridged. As however I deemed it necessary that the work should, if possible, be entire, I have so contrived it.
You forget that the 75£ covers not only cost of editing but the translation of the Ethics, which is entirely new and has never been translated before.
&unknown;I confess not to understand one passage in your letter where you allude to there being no "signed agreement," as I cannot suppose an honorable man thinks a memorandum less binding than a regular bond.&unknown; You may remember that when Spinoza was first entertained and Mr. Kelly was to translate &unknown;it, I&unknown; the works I asked 50£ for the editing alone; and declined to accept less. Subsequently we talked the matter over, and arranged to get the whole of what was necessary in one volume for 75£; and this is what your son records in his memorandum.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to Henry George Bohn, Ilfracombe, 8 June 1856, 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/94559