John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 10 February 1857
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 10 February 1857
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 10 February 1857
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Eliot
Date(s)
- 1857-02-10
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 10 February 1857
MS: National Library of Scotland. Brief extracts published: William Blackwood, II, 439.
Edinburgh | February 10/57.
My Dear George Eliot
Each morning as the pile of letters is laid upon my groaning table I look through the heap for a packet from you. It would be a monstrous pity not to come to time with No. 2 of the series and I hope the M.S. is either on the way or will be dispatched in response to this. Do not of course hurry yourself to the detriment of the story; the perfecting of that must always be the first consideration, but it would be a serious disadvantage to baulk the public expectation now fairly raised.
I am delighted to be able to tell you that Amos seems fairly to have taken with the public. I could not explain the exact symptoms of popularity but to me they are literally unmistakeable. They reach me in different ways and an occasional objection I look upon as by no means a bad sign, showing as it does that people are thinking over and discussing the story.
Nearly all of my own immediate friends are loud in praise. The impression among them seems to be that you are new to writing fiction. They mean this as a compliment implying not rawness but that invaluable quality freshness.
Of all people in the world I have a letter from the excellent Albert Smith, 791 perfectly enthusiastic about Amos. He describes himself as having been more moved than he thought possible, and from his account the luminaries of the Garrick generally seem to have mingled their tears with their tumblers over the death bed of Milly. It will be great fun if you are a member of that society and hear yourself discussed. I sympathize with your desire for the incognito, although I hope to break through it erelong as far as regards myself.
In regard to scientific illustrations neither Hamley nor I meant that you used them too much. We merely alluded to a sort of precision of expression or illustration which gave us the idea that the writer was accustomed to scientific definitions.
I rarely forget handwriting which I have once seen and your hand has all along struck me as being in some way or other familiar to me. When I got your last letter I caused a Clerk to turn up some letters 10 years old as I was forcibly reminded of the hand of Captain George Warburton 792 (a brother of Eliot) an old correspondent of mine. I found a remarkable resemblance but not identity, nor does Amos seem to me anything like what that good artillery man would or could write.
I am uncommonly anxious to see No. 2, and when I get it will not allow grass to grow at my heels until I read it and let you know what I think.
With regards to Lewes from whom I expect to hear soon I am
yours very truly,
John Blackwood.
George Eliot Esq.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Brief extracts published: William Blackwood, II, 439.
Edinburgh | February 10/57.
My Dear George Eliot
Each morning as the pile of letters is laid upon my groaning table I look through the heap for a packet from you. It would be a monstrous pity not to come to time with No. 2 of the series and I hope the M.S. is either on the way or will be dispatched in response to this. Do not of course hurry yourself to the detriment of the story; the perfecting of that must always be the first consideration, but it would be a serious disadvantage to baulk the public expectation now fairly raised.
I am delighted to be able to tell you that Amos seems fairly to have taken with the public. I could not explain the exact symptoms of popularity but to me they are literally unmistakeable. They reach me in different ways and an occasional objection I look upon as by no means a bad sign, showing as it does that people are thinking over and discussing the story.
Nearly all of my own immediate friends are loud in praise. The impression among them seems to be that you are new to writing fiction. They mean this as a compliment implying not rawness but that invaluable quality freshness.
Of all people in the world I have a letter from the excellent Albert Smith, 791 perfectly enthusiastic about Amos. He describes himself as having been more moved than he thought possible, and from his account the luminaries of the Garrick generally seem to have mingled their tears with their tumblers over the death bed of Milly. It will be great fun if you are a member of that society and hear yourself discussed. I sympathize with your desire for the incognito, although I hope to break through it erelong as far as regards myself.
In regard to scientific illustrations neither Hamley nor I meant that you used them too much. We merely alluded to a sort of precision of expression or illustration which gave us the idea that the writer was accustomed to scientific definitions.
I rarely forget handwriting which I have once seen and your hand has all along struck me as being in some way or other familiar to me. When I got your last letter I caused a Clerk to turn up some letters 10 years old as I was forcibly reminded of the hand of Captain George Warburton 792 (a brother of Eliot) an old correspondent of mine. I found a remarkable resemblance but not identity, nor does Amos seem to me anything like what that good artillery man would or could write.
I am uncommonly anxious to see No. 2, and when I get it will not allow grass to grow at my heels until I read it and let you know what I think.
With regards to Lewes from whom I expect to hear soon I am
yours very truly,
John Blackwood.
George Eliot Esq.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 10 February 1857, 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/95172