GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, 17 November 1858
Title
GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, 17 November 1858
Title
GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, 17 November 1858
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1858-11-17
Place
Richmond
Letter Content
GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, 17 November 1858
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Park Shot | Richmond | 17 November 1858.
My dear Blackwood
Alex. Dumas, in one of his many lawsuits thus addressed the Judge. Un jour M. V'e9ron v'eent me voir et m'offrit cinq franc la ligne pour mes romans. C'est un homme de relations charmantes.
This eulogy of V'e9ron must have been very appreciable to those who remembered how Dumas would write pages in this style.
Monsieur?
Eh bien!
Vous croyez . . .
Si fait.
Pourtant . . .
Et il se t'fbt. 1220
Five francs the line would be remunerative on this reckoning. Although Physiology is not so remunerative as romans (if I [it?] were I know who would be physiologists). I have always said of you what Dumas said of V'e9ron -- c'est un homme de relations charmantes! and your liberal offer for the Physiology of Common Life (a formal acceptance of which is enclosed) considering how great a risk there must necessarily be in such a work assures me that I was quite right to leave the matter wholly in your hands, our previous relations having been so charmantes, that I was certain to be paid as much as there was any warrant to expect.
But you do not mention the when. Now as the book will take eighteen months before it is finally published, and as I am obliged to calculate some time beforehand what my income will be, I should be glad if you will tell me, when next you have occasion to write, at what period, or periods, the first edition will be paid for; in order that I may arrange accordingly.
Yesterday I placed the concluding portion of the m.s.s. of "Adam
Bede" in Langford's hands, who undertook to forward it in the next parcel.
By the way I have not seen any proofs of the illustrations. Do you print them, or does Mr. Branston? 1221 I must have a set of proofs.
Please ask Mr. Simpson to do me the service of critically reading the proofs and marking any word or passage which is not perfectly clear. He, or you, queried the phrase alimentary canal, in the Hunger and Thirst. I should never have suspected any possible difficulty here; but as soon as his pencil directed my attention to it, I saw that "digestive organs" would be better. As I want every one to understand me, no criticism can be too minute or too trivial -- if he can take so much trouble. I need scarcely add that any pencillings you may have time to make will also be of service.
With kind regards to the Major Believe me, my dear Blackwood
Ever faithfully yours
G. H. Lewes.
John Blackwood Esq.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Park Shot | Richmond | 17 November 1858.
My dear Blackwood
Alex. Dumas, in one of his many lawsuits thus addressed the Judge. Un jour M. V'e9ron v'eent me voir et m'offrit cinq franc la ligne pour mes romans. C'est un homme de relations charmantes.
This eulogy of V'e9ron must have been very appreciable to those who remembered how Dumas would write pages in this style.
Monsieur?
Eh bien!
Vous croyez . . .
Si fait.
Pourtant . . .
Et il se t'fbt. 1220
Five francs the line would be remunerative on this reckoning. Although Physiology is not so remunerative as romans (if I [it?] were I know who would be physiologists). I have always said of you what Dumas said of V'e9ron -- c'est un homme de relations charmantes! and your liberal offer for the Physiology of Common Life (a formal acceptance of which is enclosed) considering how great a risk there must necessarily be in such a work assures me that I was quite right to leave the matter wholly in your hands, our previous relations having been so charmantes, that I was certain to be paid as much as there was any warrant to expect.
But you do not mention the when. Now as the book will take eighteen months before it is finally published, and as I am obliged to calculate some time beforehand what my income will be, I should be glad if you will tell me, when next you have occasion to write, at what period, or periods, the first edition will be paid for; in order that I may arrange accordingly.
Yesterday I placed the concluding portion of the m.s.s. of "Adam
Bede" in Langford's hands, who undertook to forward it in the next parcel.
By the way I have not seen any proofs of the illustrations. Do you print them, or does Mr. Branston? 1221 I must have a set of proofs.
Please ask Mr. Simpson to do me the service of critically reading the proofs and marking any word or passage which is not perfectly clear. He, or you, queried the phrase alimentary canal, in the Hunger and Thirst. I should never have suspected any possible difficulty here; but as soon as his pencil directed my attention to it, I saw that "digestive organs" would be better. As I want every one to understand me, no criticism can be too minute or too trivial -- if he can take so much trouble. I need scarcely add that any pencillings you may have time to make will also be of service.
With kind regards to the Major Believe me, my dear Blackwood
Ever faithfully yours
G. H. Lewes.
John Blackwood Esq.
Signature
G. H. Lewes.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to John Blackwood, Richmond, 17 November 1858, 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/94751