GHL to John Blackwood, Munich, 28 May 1858
Title
GHL to John Blackwood, Munich, 28 May 1858
Title
GHL to John Blackwood, Munich, 28 May 1858
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1858-05-28
Place
Munich
Letter Content
GHL to John Blackwood, Munich, 28 May 1858
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Luitpold Strasse, | Munich | 28 May 1858.
My dear Blackwood
The pleasure of hearing from you was somewhat damped by Langford's enclosure. It seems particularly hard that books which -- especially the C.S. -- excite such unusual admiration, should nevertheless make so little progress in the market. Of course every author thinks his book good, and worthy of an exceptional sale; but I am not the author of C.S. and yet I scarcely know any book of the kind to put above it. Upon all those who read it it produces a deep impression; but the public seems quite content to leave it unread. It is my unshaken confidence in the merit of the book that makes me agree with you in the certainty of its ultimately doing well, in a cheap form; for it is a book to buy. About my own book I have never been very sanguine or only so at times, when I thought of the public there is for such a book, and the amount of new matter which it contains. Yet though not very sanguine, I am very anxious that it should sell.
The Manx Cat has miauled to some purpose! It is well that Liggers, or any one else, should be the supposed author; because the more confidently such reports are spread, the more difficult will be the detection of the real culprit.
"Adam Bede" gets on steadily and vigorously. 1147 As it is not to appear in Maga, the new edition of C.S. (whenever you think it desirable to bring one out) will be the best possible advertizement it can have. If "Adam" does not produce a profound sensation I will hold my tongue as critic for ever after, and say that I have grown "out of joint with the time." 1148
Liebig is going to assist me in some experiments on Animal Heat; and altogether I find my studies here very profitable, unfortunately my health does not let me work as much as I could wish.
It was an agreeable surprise to hear that the Bulwers liked my articles. But the word [articles] (when one thinks of articles in general and how they are written) applied to papers, in which a mere parenthesis often costs days of labor and sentences sometimes compress the results of years, the word [articles] I say has a sort of implied compliment, indicating that the d -- d hard writing has been easy reading. Don't forget to warn me whenever I am getting dull or technical.
Yes, please pay into the Union Bank of London 4 Pall Mall East, any monies that may from time to time be due.
E. has given you all the news.
Believe me, ever faithfully
G. H. Lewes.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Luitpold Strasse, | Munich | 28 May 1858.
My dear Blackwood
The pleasure of hearing from you was somewhat damped by Langford's enclosure. It seems particularly hard that books which -- especially the C.S. -- excite such unusual admiration, should nevertheless make so little progress in the market. Of course every author thinks his book good, and worthy of an exceptional sale; but I am not the author of C.S. and yet I scarcely know any book of the kind to put above it. Upon all those who read it it produces a deep impression; but the public seems quite content to leave it unread. It is my unshaken confidence in the merit of the book that makes me agree with you in the certainty of its ultimately doing well, in a cheap form; for it is a book to buy. About my own book I have never been very sanguine or only so at times, when I thought of the public there is for such a book, and the amount of new matter which it contains. Yet though not very sanguine, I am very anxious that it should sell.
The Manx Cat has miauled to some purpose! It is well that Liggers, or any one else, should be the supposed author; because the more confidently such reports are spread, the more difficult will be the detection of the real culprit.
"Adam Bede" gets on steadily and vigorously. 1147 As it is not to appear in Maga, the new edition of C.S. (whenever you think it desirable to bring one out) will be the best possible advertizement it can have. If "Adam" does not produce a profound sensation I will hold my tongue as critic for ever after, and say that I have grown "out of joint with the time." 1148
Liebig is going to assist me in some experiments on Animal Heat; and altogether I find my studies here very profitable, unfortunately my health does not let me work as much as I could wish.
It was an agreeable surprise to hear that the Bulwers liked my articles. But the word [articles] (when one thinks of articles in general and how they are written) applied to papers, in which a mere parenthesis often costs days of labor and sentences sometimes compress the results of years, the word [articles] I say has a sort of implied compliment, indicating that the d -- d hard writing has been easy reading. Don't forget to warn me whenever I am getting dull or technical.
Yes, please pay into the Union Bank of London 4 Pall Mall East, any monies that may from time to time be due.
E. has given you all the news.
Believe me, ever faithfully
G. H. Lewes.
Signature
G. H. Lewes.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to John Blackwood, Munich, 28 May 1858, 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/94706