GE to John Blackwood, London, 23 April 1879
Title
GE to John Blackwood, London, 23 April 1879
Title
GE to John Blackwood, London, 23 April 1879
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1879-04-23
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to John Blackwood, London, 23 April 1879
MS: National Library of Scotland. Extracts published: Cross, III, 360-361.
The Priory | April 23. 79.
My dear Mr. Blackwood
I think your letter to Mr. Harper quite perfect. A royalty is not the sort of arrangement with him that I expected, but if you think well of it, I rely on your judgment and am satisfied.
With regard to the English edition I have no doubt that you have weighed the conditions, but they are not sufficiently present to me to enable me to understand why, when I received 2s for every 5s number of Middlemarch and Deronda, I should only receive 3s for a 10/6 volume. Perhaps you can make the reasons clear to me.
I hope that the visit to Strathtyrum will prepare you well for the less sanitary visit to London. When I shall be able to get to Witley is altogether uncertain, depending on the arrival of the sailing vessel by which the widowed daughter-in-law and two children are coming. I must stay here till their arrival that I may see and comfort them for a little while. But I hope they will not be long after the beginning of May. The cold winds make one less hungry for the country, but still it will be a relief to me, in some respects, to get away from town.
I am much stronger than I was, and am again finding interest in this wonderful life of ours. But I am obliged to keep my doors closed against all but the few until I go away. You, however, I shall hope to see.
I am founding a studentship of Physiology to be called [the George Henry Lewes Studentship.] It will be placed in the first instance at Cambridge where there is the best physiological school in the Kingdom. But the Trustees (with my consent during my life) will have the power of moving it where they judge best. This idea which I early conceived, has been a great stay to me. But I have plenty to think of -- plenty of creatures depending on me, to make my time seem of some value. And there are so many in the world who have to live without any great enjoyment.
Always yours truly
M. E. Lewes.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Extracts published: Cross, III, 360-361.
The Priory | April 23. 79.
My dear Mr. Blackwood
I think your letter to Mr. Harper quite perfect. A royalty is not the sort of arrangement with him that I expected, but if you think well of it, I rely on your judgment and am satisfied.
With regard to the English edition I have no doubt that you have weighed the conditions, but they are not sufficiently present to me to enable me to understand why, when I received 2s for every 5s number of Middlemarch and Deronda, I should only receive 3s for a 10/6 volume. Perhaps you can make the reasons clear to me.
I hope that the visit to Strathtyrum will prepare you well for the less sanitary visit to London. When I shall be able to get to Witley is altogether uncertain, depending on the arrival of the sailing vessel by which the widowed daughter-in-law and two children are coming. I must stay here till their arrival that I may see and comfort them for a little while. But I hope they will not be long after the beginning of May. The cold winds make one less hungry for the country, but still it will be a relief to me, in some respects, to get away from town.
I am much stronger than I was, and am again finding interest in this wonderful life of ours. But I am obliged to keep my doors closed against all but the few until I go away. You, however, I shall hope to see.
I am founding a studentship of Physiology to be called [the George Henry Lewes Studentship.] It will be placed in the first instance at Cambridge where there is the best physiological school in the Kingdom. But the Trustees (with my consent during my life) will have the power of moving it where they judge best. This idea which I early conceived, has been a great stay to me. But I have plenty to think of -- plenty of creatures depending on me, to make my time seem of some value. And there are so many in the world who have to live without any great enjoyment.
Always yours truly
M. E. Lewes.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to John Blackwood, London, 23 April 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/92649