John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 19 February 1861
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 19 February 1861
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 19 February 1861
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Eliot
Date(s)
- 1861-02-19
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 19 February 1861
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street | Edinburgh
February 19/61.
My Dear Madam
I have read the M.S. you have sent of Silas Marner with the greatest admiration. The first 100 pages are very sad, almost oppressive, but relieved by the most exquisite touches of nature and natural feelings hit off in the fewest and most happily chosen words. I wish the picture had been a more cheery one and embraced higher specimens of humanity, but you paint so naturally that in your hands the veriest earthworms become most interesting perfect studies in fact.
The child found on the hearth replacing the poor weaver's lost treasure is a beautiful idea and is I hope to be the medium of restoring the unfortunate Silas to a more Christian frame of mind. How perfectly you paint the poor creature quite at sea when his simple faith was cut from under his feet.
The conclave at the Rainbow 700 is beyond price and no one but yourself could have done Mrs. Winthrop. She is perfect. Nancy Lammeter is very good and her toilette in presence of the Miss Gunns 701 is screaming, but Priscilla is my favourite; she promises to be a truly rich bit of character. I cannot help feeling sorry that you have done for the only one of the Cass family who had anything about him to redeem the breed. 702
My only objection to the story is the want of brighter lights and some characters of whom one can think with pleasure as fellow creatures, but this may come in the sequel of the story and in the meantime the touches of nature, the humour, and the power and precision are as wonderful as in anything you have ever written. Are you sure you will be able to wind up in the space you allot to yourself? I should almost doubt it.
Shall we calculate upon a post 8'b0ree; volume to sell at 12/- and make a proposition upon that basis, or is there any chance of your matter extending to what would make two smaller volumes? We can get the whole into type in a very few days.
Congratulating you upon your unfailing powers, which seem as inexhaustible as ever, believe me
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
Mrs. M. E. Lewes.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street | Edinburgh
February 19/61.
My Dear Madam
I have read the M.S. you have sent of Silas Marner with the greatest admiration. The first 100 pages are very sad, almost oppressive, but relieved by the most exquisite touches of nature and natural feelings hit off in the fewest and most happily chosen words. I wish the picture had been a more cheery one and embraced higher specimens of humanity, but you paint so naturally that in your hands the veriest earthworms become most interesting perfect studies in fact.
The child found on the hearth replacing the poor weaver's lost treasure is a beautiful idea and is I hope to be the medium of restoring the unfortunate Silas to a more Christian frame of mind. How perfectly you paint the poor creature quite at sea when his simple faith was cut from under his feet.
The conclave at the Rainbow 700 is beyond price and no one but yourself could have done Mrs. Winthrop. She is perfect. Nancy Lammeter is very good and her toilette in presence of the Miss Gunns 701 is screaming, but Priscilla is my favourite; she promises to be a truly rich bit of character. I cannot help feeling sorry that you have done for the only one of the Cass family who had anything about him to redeem the breed. 702
My only objection to the story is the want of brighter lights and some characters of whom one can think with pleasure as fellow creatures, but this may come in the sequel of the story and in the meantime the touches of nature, the humour, and the power and precision are as wonderful as in anything you have ever written. Are you sure you will be able to wind up in the space you allot to yourself? I should almost doubt it.
Shall we calculate upon a post 8'b0ree; volume to sell at 12/- and make a proposition upon that basis, or is there any chance of your matter extending to what would make two smaller volumes? We can get the whole into type in a very few days.
Congratulating you upon your unfailing powers, which seem as inexhaustible as ever, believe me
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
Mrs. M. E. Lewes.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 19 February 1861, 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/95208