John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 9 May 1866
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 9 May 1866
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 9 May 1866
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Eliot
Date(s)
- 1866-05-09
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 9 May 1866
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Edinburgh | May 9/66.
My Dear Madam
Burton was here today and he says that there was no such thing as transportation without hard labour, in this sense that every convict was absolutely a slave. His only chance of anything like freedom was falling into the hands of a singularly kind or soft hearted master. This picture of Convict life is something too horrible to think of, so the best way is to touch as lightly as possible upon it. He says it does not matter how much you blunder and his account of the mistakes that clever fellow Charles Reade had made about prison life 458 was really amusing. His theory is that if you do make a slip nobody will detect it, and I add that everything was possible that you are likely to write.
You will now have received the proof up to end of first volume and as far as I gather the sheets are being read with eager delight, but from my migratory state my own household are not so far advanced as they would otherwise have been. As far as I have read the proofs I find that the M.S. had printed itself on my mind. As I read I find that I remember every word and turn of thought and feeling.
We got back from Strathtyrum last night and leave for Derbyshire on Friday. I intend to be in London on Monday afternoon. I am looking forward anxiously to see you and to hear how the third volume stands and what it is like.
My nephew had the pleasure of receiving your note with the proofs today.
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
Mrs. Lewes.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Edinburgh | May 9/66.
My Dear Madam
Burton was here today and he says that there was no such thing as transportation without hard labour, in this sense that every convict was absolutely a slave. His only chance of anything like freedom was falling into the hands of a singularly kind or soft hearted master. This picture of Convict life is something too horrible to think of, so the best way is to touch as lightly as possible upon it. He says it does not matter how much you blunder and his account of the mistakes that clever fellow Charles Reade had made about prison life 458 was really amusing. His theory is that if you do make a slip nobody will detect it, and I add that everything was possible that you are likely to write.
You will now have received the proof up to end of first volume and as far as I gather the sheets are being read with eager delight, but from my migratory state my own household are not so far advanced as they would otherwise have been. As far as I have read the proofs I find that the M.S. had printed itself on my mind. As I read I find that I remember every word and turn of thought and feeling.
We got back from Strathtyrum last night and leave for Derbyshire on Friday. I intend to be in London on Monday afternoon. I am looking forward anxiously to see you and to hear how the third volume stands and what it is like.
My nephew had the pleasure of receiving your note with the proofs today.
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
Mrs. Lewes.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 9 May 1866, 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/95300