John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 7 July 1857
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 7 July 1857
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 7 July 1857
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Eliot
Date(s)
- 1857-07-07
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 7 July 1857
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Edinburgh | July 7/57.
My Dear Sir
I inclose proof of Janet's Repentance Part 2. 915 Most graphic and life like your pictures are. Clever and humorous as this part is I feel that the best of the Story is yet to come. Hitherto Janet and Tryan, who ought to bear the chief burden of the interest, do not stand out from your canvas so distinct in form and substance as your other figures.
Your Bishop is doubtless a true sketch, but I wish he had been a better sample of the cloth. Some allusion to the solemn and affecting sight that a confirmation ought to be would not lessen the effect of your quaint and amusing picture of the scene at Milby thirty years ago and would destroy the chance of any accusation of irreverence or wish to make the ceremony ridiculous. 916
The preparations for the reception of the Bishop 917 are capitally sketched, as also Mrs. Jerome with her abominable tea cups. 918 Indeed the part is full of admirable touches. The placard is too long and my impression is that it would be better very much cut down or described in general terms. It did not make me laugh, which ought to be the emotion combined with indignation at the outrage excited by such a document. 919 You show very great skill in exciting the interest of your readers and I am sure most of them will be as anxious as I [to] see the rest of Janet's story. Let me have back proof as soon as you conveniently can.
The Madeleine Smith 920 Trial keeps Edinburgh quite ahead of London at present. The girl will get off. She is a nice young woman but I really doubt whether she did poison the beast and at all events he deserved anything. I wish the dog had died and made no sign, as such exposures do much harm. I should like to hear Lewes on the subject as I think he has rather a turn for the analysis of remarkable trials.
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
George Eliot Esq.
I have been giving out George Eliot as the mysterious author. Do not allow any objections of mine to Janet to disturb you. Probably my want of experience of English country life [keeps me] from seeing that the placard is natural in the excitement of a village religious war.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Edinburgh | July 7/57.
My Dear Sir
I inclose proof of Janet's Repentance Part 2. 915 Most graphic and life like your pictures are. Clever and humorous as this part is I feel that the best of the Story is yet to come. Hitherto Janet and Tryan, who ought to bear the chief burden of the interest, do not stand out from your canvas so distinct in form and substance as your other figures.
Your Bishop is doubtless a true sketch, but I wish he had been a better sample of the cloth. Some allusion to the solemn and affecting sight that a confirmation ought to be would not lessen the effect of your quaint and amusing picture of the scene at Milby thirty years ago and would destroy the chance of any accusation of irreverence or wish to make the ceremony ridiculous. 916
The preparations for the reception of the Bishop 917 are capitally sketched, as also Mrs. Jerome with her abominable tea cups. 918 Indeed the part is full of admirable touches. The placard is too long and my impression is that it would be better very much cut down or described in general terms. It did not make me laugh, which ought to be the emotion combined with indignation at the outrage excited by such a document. 919 You show very great skill in exciting the interest of your readers and I am sure most of them will be as anxious as I [to] see the rest of Janet's story. Let me have back proof as soon as you conveniently can.
The Madeleine Smith 920 Trial keeps Edinburgh quite ahead of London at present. The girl will get off. She is a nice young woman but I really doubt whether she did poison the beast and at all events he deserved anything. I wish the dog had died and made no sign, as such exposures do much harm. I should like to hear Lewes on the subject as I think he has rather a turn for the analysis of remarkable trials.
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
George Eliot Esq.
I have been giving out George Eliot as the mysterious author. Do not allow any objections of mine to Janet to disturb you. Probably my want of experience of English country life [keeps me] from seeing that the placard is natural in the excitement of a village religious war.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 7 July 1857, 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/95289