John Blackwood to GE, St. Andrews, 12 July 1876
Title
John Blackwood to GE, St. Andrews, 12 July 1876
Title
John Blackwood to GE, St. Andrews, 12 July 1876
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Eliot
Date(s)
- 1876-07-12
Place
St. Andrews
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GE, St. Andrews, 12 July 1876
MS: National Library of Scotland and Mrs. Carrington Ouvry. Hitherto unpublished.
Strathtyrum | St. Andrews | N.B.
July 12/76.
My Dear Mrs. Lewes
I am delighted to receive your letter from Ragatz and to learn that you have there found a quiet peaceful retreat likely to do you good after your giant labours. You were, I am sure, quite right to abandon the knocking about in Railways, and seek a quiet spot where you can have pleasant walks and rest.
First as to the Book. I think the sale of Book VI is fully up to that of its predecessors, but I send this letter into Edinburgh that Willie may put in a Memorandum of what have been sold since the 30th of June. At that date a Memorandum was made up to show the exact state of matters. It is a very healthy show and will I hope afford you both pleasure.
I propose to pay you in cash now to your Banker's £2000 or on your return home 510 as you may wish and the balance £2052.16/- by Bill at 6 Mos. from 30th June.
On some sudden rise in sale we had, I see, printed rather too many of Book One, but I hope we shall work them all out and any way it will be a very trifling overstock on so large a sale. 511
The public continue all abroad as to what your finale is going to be, and it was great sport to me in London that I could decline all discussion of the Book because I knew so much more than the rest of the world that I would be arguing at an unfair advantage. I used to say accept what you get when it comes and be thankful. Delane said at Ascot, "If I proclaim in the Strand here is the one man who has read the whole of Daniel Deronda, the ladies will tear you in pieces unless you tell them some lies or make a clean breast of it."
There will I know be disappointment at not hearing more of the failure of Gwendolen and the mysterious destiny of Deronda, but I am sure you are right to leave all grand and vague, and the real disappointment of your public will be that their monthly food for interesting thought and speculation is stopped.
I stayed in London rather longer than I intended in order to go to see Delane at Ascot and I am happy to say I found him better than I expected, but he has been very unwell and should take a rest. You may imagine how tired I was of my bachelor life when I resisted the most pressing invitation to stay the week at Delane's and came off to the North after the first day's racing.
My wife and daughter really did not come up to London this time and seem rather pleased with themselves now. They threaten me with an expedition to the Highlands when my heart will be, not there but on the Links. The hardest thing for my daughter to miss in London was an invitation from Lady Salisbury 512 to a small dancing party to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales, which followed me down here. Golf goes on a pace. Tom Morris the ex-champion, of whom you have heard me tell, was invited to Liverpool last week to play a match before the Duke of Connaught. He reports the Prince "a most pleasant frank Gentleman." Old Tom is a capital judge of such matters, and I would rather take his opinion on the point than that of any courtier.
I thought the deaths of Miss Martineau and George Sand would touch you. That generation is indeed wearing to an end now.
The ladies send their best regards to you. The weather is pleasant and they are enjoying their rides.
I am interested to hear that you were at Aix and Chambery, very familiar places once to me. My eldest brother was laid up at Aix with a raging fit of Asthma so long and bad that the Doctors gave up all hope, and many a melancholy hour did I pass by the Lac de Bourget. In despair we carried him into his carriage and drove to Chambery. In the ten miles drive that most fickle complaint left him and he got out at the Hotel du Petit Paris suffering only from extreme weakness.
I wonder if the Petit Paris still exists. I always think of it and Chambery with a blessing.
I have a hope that the deplorable fighting will not spread beyond the Turkish Provinces. The Powers are all afraid and jealous of each other, which gives the best hope of Peace. With best regards to Lewes, I am always
yours very truly
John Blackwood.
MS: National Library of Scotland and Mrs. Carrington Ouvry. Hitherto unpublished.
Strathtyrum | St. Andrews | N.B.
July 12/76.
My Dear Mrs. Lewes
I am delighted to receive your letter from Ragatz and to learn that you have there found a quiet peaceful retreat likely to do you good after your giant labours. You were, I am sure, quite right to abandon the knocking about in Railways, and seek a quiet spot where you can have pleasant walks and rest.
First as to the Book. I think the sale of Book VI is fully up to that of its predecessors, but I send this letter into Edinburgh that Willie may put in a Memorandum of what have been sold since the 30th of June. At that date a Memorandum was made up to show the exact state of matters. It is a very healthy show and will I hope afford you both pleasure.
I propose to pay you in cash now to your Banker's £2000 or on your return home 510 as you may wish and the balance £2052.16/- by Bill at 6 Mos. from 30th June.
On some sudden rise in sale we had, I see, printed rather too many of Book One, but I hope we shall work them all out and any way it will be a very trifling overstock on so large a sale. 511
The public continue all abroad as to what your finale is going to be, and it was great sport to me in London that I could decline all discussion of the Book because I knew so much more than the rest of the world that I would be arguing at an unfair advantage. I used to say accept what you get when it comes and be thankful. Delane said at Ascot, "If I proclaim in the Strand here is the one man who has read the whole of Daniel Deronda, the ladies will tear you in pieces unless you tell them some lies or make a clean breast of it."
There will I know be disappointment at not hearing more of the failure of Gwendolen and the mysterious destiny of Deronda, but I am sure you are right to leave all grand and vague, and the real disappointment of your public will be that their monthly food for interesting thought and speculation is stopped.
I stayed in London rather longer than I intended in order to go to see Delane at Ascot and I am happy to say I found him better than I expected, but he has been very unwell and should take a rest. You may imagine how tired I was of my bachelor life when I resisted the most pressing invitation to stay the week at Delane's and came off to the North after the first day's racing.
My wife and daughter really did not come up to London this time and seem rather pleased with themselves now. They threaten me with an expedition to the Highlands when my heart will be, not there but on the Links. The hardest thing for my daughter to miss in London was an invitation from Lady Salisbury 512 to a small dancing party to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales, which followed me down here. Golf goes on a pace. Tom Morris the ex-champion, of whom you have heard me tell, was invited to Liverpool last week to play a match before the Duke of Connaught. He reports the Prince "a most pleasant frank Gentleman." Old Tom is a capital judge of such matters, and I would rather take his opinion on the point than that of any courtier.
I thought the deaths of Miss Martineau and George Sand would touch you. That generation is indeed wearing to an end now.
The ladies send their best regards to you. The weather is pleasant and they are enjoying their rides.
I am interested to hear that you were at Aix and Chambery, very familiar places once to me. My eldest brother was laid up at Aix with a raging fit of Asthma so long and bad that the Doctors gave up all hope, and many a melancholy hour did I pass by the Lac de Bourget. In despair we carried him into his carriage and drove to Chambery. In the ten miles drive that most fickle complaint left him and he got out at the Hotel du Petit Paris suffering only from extreme weakness.
I wonder if the Petit Paris still exists. I always think of it and Chambery with a blessing.
I have a hope that the deplorable fighting will not spread beyond the Turkish Provinces. The Powers are all afraid and jealous of each other, which gives the best hope of Peace. With best regards to Lewes, I am always
yours very truly
John Blackwood.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GE, St. Andrews, 12 July 1876, 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/95322