John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 18 April 1859
Title
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 18 April 1859
Title
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 18 April 1859
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Henry Lewes
Date(s)
- 1859-04-18
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 18 April 1859
Text: Copy in Blackwood Letter Book. Hitherto unpublished.
Edinburgh April 18/59.
My dear Lewes
George Eliot's contradiction in the Times is exceedingly well put and made me laugh considerably. It will stop all the better class papers from publishing rumours as to the authorship. Inclosed is a letter from a Warwickshire Squire apparently a distinguished member of the Fogie Club. Shall I answer the old foozle? From the tone of his letter I daresay he is not a bad fellow. I would only assure him that George Eliot has no need of pecuniary assistance from any one and that his letter in the
Times ought to stop further enquiry and satisfy Mr. Liggins' friends that they are under a delusion. My objection to a point blank denial from us is that if any one stumbles on the real name a less decided denial from us would be an admission.
Mr. Simpson would I doubt not write to apologize for the mistake in the Printing Office about the return of the Physiology for press. He will keep you regularly informed in future as to the requirements of the press. We had better set a paragraph afloat about your distinguished German Translator. Can you do it in the Athenaeum or any of the other weekly literary gossip columns? If you send a para[graph] to me here I will set it afloat among the Edinr. papers whence it may be copied into the London press.
You ask about Spurgeon. His voice and elocution seem to me to explain his popularity. They are wonderful. As for his matter I certainly shall not go to hear him again. As for doctrine he announced in the most unhesitating terms the miserable hopeless creed of the extreme Calvinists that men are sent into this world preordained to Heaven or t'other place and that no conduct on their part can have the slightest influence on their future fate. I suppose he meant to imply that he was of the Elect but he could not possibly have explained how he was to be so lucky as from his own showing neither his principles nor his conduct could have anything to do with the matter. His stock anecdotes about conversions by the force of his preaching were to me very painful. I did not like to disbelieve the fellow but at the same time the stories did not seem genuine. His converts however seemed generally to have been on the verge of Del. Tre. so may have been affected as he described.
Ever Yours Truly
John Blackwood.
G. H. Lewes, Esqr.
I shall use the Pond this month.
Text: Copy in Blackwood Letter Book. Hitherto unpublished.
Edinburgh April 18/59.
My dear Lewes
George Eliot's contradiction in the Times is exceedingly well put and made me laugh considerably. It will stop all the better class papers from publishing rumours as to the authorship. Inclosed is a letter from a Warwickshire Squire apparently a distinguished member of the Fogie Club. Shall I answer the old foozle? From the tone of his letter I daresay he is not a bad fellow. I would only assure him that George Eliot has no need of pecuniary assistance from any one and that his letter in the
Times ought to stop further enquiry and satisfy Mr. Liggins' friends that they are under a delusion. My objection to a point blank denial from us is that if any one stumbles on the real name a less decided denial from us would be an admission.
Mr. Simpson would I doubt not write to apologize for the mistake in the Printing Office about the return of the Physiology for press. He will keep you regularly informed in future as to the requirements of the press. We had better set a paragraph afloat about your distinguished German Translator. Can you do it in the Athenaeum or any of the other weekly literary gossip columns? If you send a para[graph] to me here I will set it afloat among the Edinr. papers whence it may be copied into the London press.
You ask about Spurgeon. His voice and elocution seem to me to explain his popularity. They are wonderful. As for his matter I certainly shall not go to hear him again. As for doctrine he announced in the most unhesitating terms the miserable hopeless creed of the extreme Calvinists that men are sent into this world preordained to Heaven or t'other place and that no conduct on their part can have the slightest influence on their future fate. I suppose he meant to imply that he was of the Elect but he could not possibly have explained how he was to be so lucky as from his own showing neither his principles nor his conduct could have anything to do with the matter. His stock anecdotes about conversions by the force of his preaching were to me very painful. I did not like to disbelieve the fellow but at the same time the stories did not seem genuine. His converts however seemed generally to have been on the verge of Del. Tre. so may have been affected as he described.
Ever Yours Truly
John Blackwood.
G. H. Lewes, Esqr.
I shall use the Pond this month.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 18 April 1859, 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/95374