GE to James Sully, Witley, 10 September 1879
Title
GE to James Sully, Witley, 10 September 1879
Title
GE to James Sully, Witley, 10 September 1879
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
James Sully
Date(s)
- 1879-09-10
Place
Witley
Letter Content
GE to James Sully, Witley, 10 September 1879
MS: University College, London. Envelope: James Sully Esq | 57 Tideswell Road | Eastbourne. Postmark: GODALMING | C | SP 10 | 79. Endorsed: On GHL's work (correcting my article). Success of Life of Goethe in Germany. Partly published: VII, 198.
The Heights, Witley, | Nr. Godalming.
September 10. 79.
Dear Mr. Sully
I have read the article with very grateful feelings. I think that he would himself have regarded it as a generally just estimate. And I am much obliged to you for sending it to me in proof. 496 In addition to what, in compliance with your kind request, I have pencilled in the margin, there are one or two suggestions which may be the more easily carried out because some omissions are required by the Editor.
I think that his acting in 1841 at Whitehall was merely incidental. At least I always understood from him, that his idea of becoming an actor arose out of 'abevents'bb conditions which were subsequent to his acting with Dickens's amateur company. 497
I think he would have strongly desired the omission of the passage which I have marked on page 3, 498 and in the case of your being obliged to make further excisions, he would have felt that the account of the plot of [Rose, Blanche and Violet] might best be spared. I have ventured to put some pencil marks here, but they are merely for you to exercise your judgment on.
But I beg you in his name and my own to omit the paragraph about the article on "Robert Browning and the Poetry of the Age." 499 I know that he would have objected to have attention called to his early observations on two living poets -- observations which his later mind would have considerably modified.
This [is] all that I have to ask or suggest, beyond the remainder of my pencilings. Your selection of subjects for remark and the remarks themselves are in accordance with my feeling to a comforting extent, and I shall always remain your debtor for writing the article.
I trust you will not be forced to omit anything about his scientific and philosophical work, because that is the part of his life's labour which he most valued.
Perhaps you a little underrate the (original) effect of his Life of Goethe in Germany. It was received with enthusiasm and an immense number of copies in both the English and German form have been sold in Germany since its appearance in 1855.
I return the proof at once, that your kindness in sending it to me may not be the occasion of inconvenient delay. Believe me, dear Mr. Sully,
Yours most sincerely
M. E. Lewes.
I wish you were allowed to put your name to the article.
MS: University College, London. Envelope: James Sully Esq | 57 Tideswell Road | Eastbourne. Postmark: GODALMING | C | SP 10 | 79. Endorsed: On GHL's work (correcting my article). Success of Life of Goethe in Germany. Partly published: VII, 198.
The Heights, Witley, | Nr. Godalming.
September 10. 79.
Dear Mr. Sully
I have read the article with very grateful feelings. I think that he would himself have regarded it as a generally just estimate. And I am much obliged to you for sending it to me in proof. 496 In addition to what, in compliance with your kind request, I have pencilled in the margin, there are one or two suggestions which may be the more easily carried out because some omissions are required by the Editor.
I think that his acting in 1841 at Whitehall was merely incidental. At least I always understood from him, that his idea of becoming an actor arose out of 'abevents'bb conditions which were subsequent to his acting with Dickens's amateur company. 497
I think he would have strongly desired the omission of the passage which I have marked on page 3, 498 and in the case of your being obliged to make further excisions, he would have felt that the account of the plot of [Rose, Blanche and Violet] might best be spared. I have ventured to put some pencil marks here, but they are merely for you to exercise your judgment on.
But I beg you in his name and my own to omit the paragraph about the article on "Robert Browning and the Poetry of the Age." 499 I know that he would have objected to have attention called to his early observations on two living poets -- observations which his later mind would have considerably modified.
This [is] all that I have to ask or suggest, beyond the remainder of my pencilings. Your selection of subjects for remark and the remarks themselves are in accordance with my feeling to a comforting extent, and I shall always remain your debtor for writing the article.
I trust you will not be forced to omit anything about his scientific and philosophical work, because that is the part of his life's labour which he most valued.
Perhaps you a little underrate the (original) effect of his Life of Goethe in Germany. It was received with enthusiasm and an immense number of copies in both the English and German form have been sold in Germany since its appearance in 1855.
I return the proof at once, that your kindness in sending it to me may not be the occasion of inconvenient delay. Believe me, dear Mr. Sully,
Yours most sincerely
M. E. Lewes.
I wish you were allowed to put your name to the article.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to James Sully, Witley, 10 September 1879, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/92547