GE to John Blackwood, London, 2 April 1874
Title
GE to John Blackwood, London, 2 April 1874
Title
GE to John Blackwood, London, 2 April 1874
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1874-04-02
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to John Blackwood, London, 2 April 1874
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
April 2. 74.
My dear Mr. Blackwood
Thanks for your letter and the Revise. I should think that 1500 is a fairly hopeful number for the impression 69 -- I don't know whether you mean to prepare for stereotyping. Five shillings as the price, would have been my notion too, but I am no judge in these matters, and Mr. Lewes urges that 6/ is the regular charge for such volumes -- vide, the advertisement sheets. Browning's Ring and the Book is even charged 7/ per volume.
A royalty seems to us the simpler and preferable plan. If you have any grave doubts as to the propriety or wisdom of the 6/ pray mention them. 70
When I return the Revise I will write to Mr. Simpson about some points important to be attended to. But perhaps I had better say now that I wish to restore the dates of the poems -- not the months, but simply the years. 71 And I will put the statement about the reprints in the Table of Contents.
I was very glad to see Mr. William Blackwood looking thoroughly healthy, notwithstanding the lingering lameness. 72 But he complained already of some fatigue from the necessity of seeing (and dining with) so many old and new acquaintances, and he must be trebly tired now. It is a very interesting experience for him to see so much of the Ashante Campaigners in the freshness of their memories.
We hope to make our migration into the country at the end of May, but not before, and I am very glad to hear that you will come at a time when you will have no trouble to get to us.
That you should have had any pleasure in my poems gives me pleasure. I know you always mean what you say about such things.
Yours always truly
M. E. Lewes.
Mr. Lewes has just come up to say that he has gone through the Revise, since I finished reading it, so that he is going to despatch it by post. I wished to beg Mr. Simpson to attend to certain details, namely, that full stops should not be left where I have marked commas. For some reason or other (probably of a mechanical kind) the printers have constantly made this mistake in printing verse, and in the Spanish
Gypsy there are numerous cases. Also, I beg him kindly to compare my corrections himself, as there are various important mistakes in the Revise -- chiefly left by my own oversight.
The indenting of the final couplets in "Brother and Sister" will make an improvement, and is always done in the Shakspearian sonnet.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
April 2. 74.
My dear Mr. Blackwood
Thanks for your letter and the Revise. I should think that 1500 is a fairly hopeful number for the impression 69 -- I don't know whether you mean to prepare for stereotyping. Five shillings as the price, would have been my notion too, but I am no judge in these matters, and Mr. Lewes urges that 6/ is the regular charge for such volumes -- vide, the advertisement sheets. Browning's Ring and the Book is even charged 7/ per volume.
A royalty seems to us the simpler and preferable plan. If you have any grave doubts as to the propriety or wisdom of the 6/ pray mention them. 70
When I return the Revise I will write to Mr. Simpson about some points important to be attended to. But perhaps I had better say now that I wish to restore the dates of the poems -- not the months, but simply the years. 71 And I will put the statement about the reprints in the Table of Contents.
I was very glad to see Mr. William Blackwood looking thoroughly healthy, notwithstanding the lingering lameness. 72 But he complained already of some fatigue from the necessity of seeing (and dining with) so many old and new acquaintances, and he must be trebly tired now. It is a very interesting experience for him to see so much of the Ashante Campaigners in the freshness of their memories.
We hope to make our migration into the country at the end of May, but not before, and I am very glad to hear that you will come at a time when you will have no trouble to get to us.
That you should have had any pleasure in my poems gives me pleasure. I know you always mean what you say about such things.
Yours always truly
M. E. Lewes.
Mr. Lewes has just come up to say that he has gone through the Revise, since I finished reading it, so that he is going to despatch it by post. I wished to beg Mr. Simpson to attend to certain details, namely, that full stops should not be left where I have marked commas. For some reason or other (probably of a mechanical kind) the printers have constantly made this mistake in printing verse, and in the Spanish
Gypsy there are numerous cases. Also, I beg him kindly to compare my corrections himself, as there are various important mistakes in the Revise -- chiefly left by my own oversight.
The indenting of the final couplets in "Brother and Sister" will make an improvement, and is always done in the Shakspearian sonnet.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to John Blackwood, London, 2 April 1874, 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/92628