John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 22 November 1872
Title
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 22 November 1872
Title
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 22 November 1872
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Henry Lewes
Date(s)
- 1872-11-22
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 22 November 1872
Text: Copy in Blackwood Letter Book. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street | Edinburgh | November 22/72.
My Dear Lewes
I have the pleasure of enclosing another £100. from Melbourne Argus on account of Middlemarch and £25. from the Dutchman for their Translations. 636 We have acknowledged receipt to them. The Melbourne paper was, I think I told you, a coup de Maitre by Simpson. Give my best thanks to Mrs. Lewes for her kind message which I got over at Strathtyrum. I was very unwell but am now particularly well. In fact I think the illness has cleared off some mischief that had been hanging about me as I have not felt so well and fit for a long time.
I should think from Mrs. Lewes' question about Forster's Biography that she and I would agree about that book. As far as regards others I think that Forster seems to have been perhaps more careful and delicate than might have been expected, but does he see no want of delicacy in publishing all those appeals by Dickens to his judgment? I felt for the man of genius. The letters give me a feeling of regret, almost pain, from the want of dignity and repose in them and in all that life of success and laughter there seems no real happiness or fun. I like Dickens better in this volume than I did in the first and when I read all that strain and unrest I could not help wishing that I might have had him down at Strathtyrum to turn him onto the links. They are a much better rest for the mind than fatiguing walk or wandering about streets.
I was pleased to see the allusion to Clerical Scenes. Your instructions about binding M.S. Middlemarch are being attended to. Yes, send down what you have of corrected proof.
We came over from Fife on Wednesday evening and luckily our last few days were fine. I hope Mrs. Lewes has recovered from her cold and with best regards to her I am always
Yours very Truly
(signed) John Blackwood.
I have gone over the Printing Office. It looks melancholy to see the idle cases and machines and I am sorry for the men. They are most sorry for themselves, but they yield like slaves to the tyranny of the Union. We have found it necessary to declare that we will not take a Union man into our office and we are determined to stand to our ground. It will not put us about much and will do good.
Text: Copy in Blackwood Letter Book. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street | Edinburgh | November 22/72.
My Dear Lewes
I have the pleasure of enclosing another £100. from Melbourne Argus on account of Middlemarch and £25. from the Dutchman for their Translations. 636 We have acknowledged receipt to them. The Melbourne paper was, I think I told you, a coup de Maitre by Simpson. Give my best thanks to Mrs. Lewes for her kind message which I got over at Strathtyrum. I was very unwell but am now particularly well. In fact I think the illness has cleared off some mischief that had been hanging about me as I have not felt so well and fit for a long time.
I should think from Mrs. Lewes' question about Forster's Biography that she and I would agree about that book. As far as regards others I think that Forster seems to have been perhaps more careful and delicate than might have been expected, but does he see no want of delicacy in publishing all those appeals by Dickens to his judgment? I felt for the man of genius. The letters give me a feeling of regret, almost pain, from the want of dignity and repose in them and in all that life of success and laughter there seems no real happiness or fun. I like Dickens better in this volume than I did in the first and when I read all that strain and unrest I could not help wishing that I might have had him down at Strathtyrum to turn him onto the links. They are a much better rest for the mind than fatiguing walk or wandering about streets.
I was pleased to see the allusion to Clerical Scenes. Your instructions about binding M.S. Middlemarch are being attended to. Yes, send down what you have of corrected proof.
We came over from Fife on Wednesday evening and luckily our last few days were fine. I hope Mrs. Lewes has recovered from her cold and with best regards to her I am always
Yours very Truly
(signed) John Blackwood.
I have gone over the Printing Office. It looks melancholy to see the idle cases and machines and I am sorry for the men. They are most sorry for themselves, but they yield like slaves to the tyranny of the Union. We have found it necessary to declare that we will not take a Union man into our office and we are determined to stand to our ground. It will not put us about much and will do good.
Signature
(signed) John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 22 November 1872, 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/95392