GHL to John Stuart Blackie, Richmond, 19 December 1855
Title
GHL to John Stuart Blackie, Richmond, 19 December 1855
Title
GHL to John Stuart Blackie, Richmond, 19 December 1855
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
John Stuart Blackie
Date(s)
- 1855-12-19
Place
Richmond
Letter Content
GHL to John Stuart Blackie, Richmond, 19 December 1855
MS: Yale.
Park Shot | Richmond | 19 December 1855.
My dear Sir
Your letter gave me great pleasure: to be praised by a man of genius is worth endless columns of newspaper laudation. I am the more sensitive to your's because I have long been an admirer of your powers.
I really think your Faust is worth retranslating, in spite of the terrible labor which translation of such a work must involve. 270
Yes, the liaison with the Frau von Stein did become more than platonic, as you will see I quietly indicate in one passage; 271 but I was forced to keep that part in a subdued light because the British public would have gone into fits at the open avowal. His letters leave no doubt of the fact.
Thanks for the Sonnet. -- I was glad to hear of Sch'f6ll. What an excellent creature! And Saupe also. Though I speak German so badly that I am amazed Sch'f6ll should have entertained any hopes of the book. However the Germans seem delighted. Varnhagen has written to me in the highest terms about it. He has recommended its translation, but before he did so I had already concluded a treaty with Duncker of Berlin who will employ a very competent translator. 272 The book has met with far more success than I ventured to hope -- 900 copies have been sold in six weeks. But sale is only one kind of test. The approbation of men like yourself is far more valuable. Your good word will have great influence in Edinburgh.
If any suggestions occur to you which would enable me to improve a second edition they would be very gratefully accepted by
Yours very faithfully
G. H. Lewes.
I have been much interested in your pamphlet. 273 But will Auld Reekie be moved?
MS: Yale.
Park Shot | Richmond | 19 December 1855.
My dear Sir
Your letter gave me great pleasure: to be praised by a man of genius is worth endless columns of newspaper laudation. I am the more sensitive to your's because I have long been an admirer of your powers.
I really think your Faust is worth retranslating, in spite of the terrible labor which translation of such a work must involve. 270
Yes, the liaison with the Frau von Stein did become more than platonic, as you will see I quietly indicate in one passage; 271 but I was forced to keep that part in a subdued light because the British public would have gone into fits at the open avowal. His letters leave no doubt of the fact.
Thanks for the Sonnet. -- I was glad to hear of Sch'f6ll. What an excellent creature! And Saupe also. Though I speak German so badly that I am amazed Sch'f6ll should have entertained any hopes of the book. However the Germans seem delighted. Varnhagen has written to me in the highest terms about it. He has recommended its translation, but before he did so I had already concluded a treaty with Duncker of Berlin who will employ a very competent translator. 272 The book has met with far more success than I ventured to hope -- 900 copies have been sold in six weeks. But sale is only one kind of test. The approbation of men like yourself is far more valuable. Your good word will have great influence in Edinburgh.
If any suggestions occur to you which would enable me to improve a second edition they would be very gratefully accepted by
Yours very faithfully
G. H. Lewes.
I have been much interested in your pamphlet. 273 But will Auld Reekie be moved?
Signature
G. H. Lewes.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to John Stuart Blackie, Richmond, 19 December 1855, 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/94834