GE to John Blackwood, London, 22 March 1879
Title
GE to John Blackwood, London, 22 March 1879
Title
GE to John Blackwood, London, 22 March 1879
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1879-03-22
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to John Blackwood, London, 22 March 1879
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory | March 22. 79.
My dear Mr. Blackwood
The Revise arrived this morning (and will be returned tomorrow) but not the Title-pages. I am not quite clear whether it will be better to say simply "By George Eliot" or "Edited by George Eliot." I incline to the single title "Impressions of Theophrastus Such", but I have no obstinacy in the matter of any kind and perhaps when you send me the Title-pages you will write again and give me your opinion.
To have put fresh readings to each page -- always a troublesome matter -- would have demanded more effort than I could give. I see that I let pass one sad misprint: "national" for "natural".
Of course I do not refer to George III where I speak of [treacherous and rapacious] monarchs. 202 The examples of misapplied praise to which I refer in the first instance are spread over history in general.
I must beg you kindly to transact for me the arrangements with America and any other foreign countries. Harper has behaved most handsomely to me about my works, and (you perhaps remember) paid for Canada as well as the United States. He gave me £1700 for the two countries in the case of Daniel Deronda. You will judge what would be a proportionate payment for early sheets of Theophrastus. The book, I imagine, is not very well suited to the taste of the Australian Colonies, which Mr. Simpson used to bring so cleverly under his sway.
There will probably, as soon as the book is advertised, be a troublesome application about translating it, from Germany. I say troublesome, because I have no faith in the translation of my books, and yet cannot forbid it, so that the question lies between being paid for the right and making a present of it. I am told that Strodtmann's translation of D.D. is better than those of Middlemarch and Felix Holt. 203 But pray allow me to refer any applicants to you. I am quite sure that on every page of Theophrastus the meaning would be mangled, and none of the irony understood, by the translator of Middlemarch. Paetel was the Berlin publisher who employed Strodtmann. But I am particularly anxious not to be personally involved in this matter, and please let this letter be private. I care very much for the feelings of some friends who might be wounded in connection with my refusal or granting of the right to translate one of my books, and yet I feel that it is treason to Literature to encourage incompetence. And there is an extensive farming of translation in Germany. For my part, I should not care if my books never were turned into other words than those in which I wrote them, so as to furnish poor reading to foreigners ignorant of English.
Excuse the infirmities of a letter which is written with the infirmity of headache, and believe me
Always yours truly
M. E. Lewes.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Priory | March 22. 79.
My dear Mr. Blackwood
The Revise arrived this morning (and will be returned tomorrow) but not the Title-pages. I am not quite clear whether it will be better to say simply "By George Eliot" or "Edited by George Eliot." I incline to the single title "Impressions of Theophrastus Such", but I have no obstinacy in the matter of any kind and perhaps when you send me the Title-pages you will write again and give me your opinion.
To have put fresh readings to each page -- always a troublesome matter -- would have demanded more effort than I could give. I see that I let pass one sad misprint: "national" for "natural".
Of course I do not refer to George III where I speak of [treacherous and rapacious] monarchs. 202 The examples of misapplied praise to which I refer in the first instance are spread over history in general.
I must beg you kindly to transact for me the arrangements with America and any other foreign countries. Harper has behaved most handsomely to me about my works, and (you perhaps remember) paid for Canada as well as the United States. He gave me £1700 for the two countries in the case of Daniel Deronda. You will judge what would be a proportionate payment for early sheets of Theophrastus. The book, I imagine, is not very well suited to the taste of the Australian Colonies, which Mr. Simpson used to bring so cleverly under his sway.
There will probably, as soon as the book is advertised, be a troublesome application about translating it, from Germany. I say troublesome, because I have no faith in the translation of my books, and yet cannot forbid it, so that the question lies between being paid for the right and making a present of it. I am told that Strodtmann's translation of D.D. is better than those of Middlemarch and Felix Holt. 203 But pray allow me to refer any applicants to you. I am quite sure that on every page of Theophrastus the meaning would be mangled, and none of the irony understood, by the translator of Middlemarch. Paetel was the Berlin publisher who employed Strodtmann. But I am particularly anxious not to be personally involved in this matter, and please let this letter be private. I care very much for the feelings of some friends who might be wounded in connection with my refusal or granting of the right to translate one of my books, and yet I feel that it is treason to Literature to encourage incompetence. And there is an extensive farming of translation in Germany. For my part, I should not care if my books never were turned into other words than those in which I wrote them, so as to furnish poor reading to foreigners ignorant of English.
Excuse the infirmities of a letter which is written with the infirmity of headache, and believe me
Always yours truly
M. E. Lewes.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to John Blackwood, London, 22 March 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/92646