John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 26 February 1873
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 26 February 1873
Title
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 26 February 1873
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Eliot
Date(s)
- 1873-02-26
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 26 February 1873
Text: Copy in Blackwood Letter Book. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street | Edinburgh February 26/73.
My Dear Mrs. Lewes
I am glad you like the appearance of the Guinea Edition which I am in great hopes will do. We have sold about 250 copies. Although the printers did keep us back a bit we could not have ventured to publish the cheaper Edition much sooner.
There is some rule about not having advertisements of books that have been published for more than a few weeks in that particular column of the Times and that may be the explanation of what you allude to, but Mr. Simpson is writing to Mr. Langford who attends to the distribution of the London Advertisements. I am writing to Delane about the review. I am delighted to hear of the substantial compliment to the Spanish Gypsy in Germany.
It gives me great pleasure to send books to you and do not fail to let me know if there are any others besides Lockhart's in that Catalogue that you would like. About Lockhart's Life of Scott I thoroughly agree with you; unlike the other biographer to whom you allude he almost effaces himself too much if that defect were possible in a biographer.
When in London I asked Lewes whether you would have any objection to the republication of The Lifted Veil in a proposed new Series of Tales from Blackwood. He thought you wished to keep it for a volume of miscellanies and I would not wish to interfere with that. Still I should like much to have this striking although horribly painful story to help the start of our new Series and I should consider it as an obligation to be paid for.
In looking over old Magazine stories I have a sort of failing of memory that almost confuses judgment and I asked Lockhart 735 to look over a lot that had been picked out. He asked who the world wrote The Lifted Veil and The Last French Hero and was greatly delighted when he found he had picked on one by you and another by Hamley.
I read the Veil over again and my impression is that now the feeling of admiration for the power of the Story is greater than at first when my pain for the poor wretch prevented me from fully appreciating the wonderful skill. 736
Always yours Truly
(signed) John Blackwood.
Text: Copy in Blackwood Letter Book. Hitherto unpublished.
George Street | Edinburgh February 26/73.
My Dear Mrs. Lewes
I am glad you like the appearance of the Guinea Edition which I am in great hopes will do. We have sold about 250 copies. Although the printers did keep us back a bit we could not have ventured to publish the cheaper Edition much sooner.
There is some rule about not having advertisements of books that have been published for more than a few weeks in that particular column of the Times and that may be the explanation of what you allude to, but Mr. Simpson is writing to Mr. Langford who attends to the distribution of the London Advertisements. I am writing to Delane about the review. I am delighted to hear of the substantial compliment to the Spanish Gypsy in Germany.
It gives me great pleasure to send books to you and do not fail to let me know if there are any others besides Lockhart's in that Catalogue that you would like. About Lockhart's Life of Scott I thoroughly agree with you; unlike the other biographer to whom you allude he almost effaces himself too much if that defect were possible in a biographer.
When in London I asked Lewes whether you would have any objection to the republication of The Lifted Veil in a proposed new Series of Tales from Blackwood. He thought you wished to keep it for a volume of miscellanies and I would not wish to interfere with that. Still I should like much to have this striking although horribly painful story to help the start of our new Series and I should consider it as an obligation to be paid for.
In looking over old Magazine stories I have a sort of failing of memory that almost confuses judgment and I asked Lockhart 735 to look over a lot that had been picked out. He asked who the world wrote The Lifted Veil and The Last French Hero and was greatly delighted when he found he had picked on one by you and another by Hamley.
I read the Veil over again and my impression is that now the feeling of admiration for the power of the Story is greater than at first when my pain for the poor wretch prevented me from fully appreciating the wonderful skill. 736
Always yours Truly
(signed) John Blackwood.
Signature
(signed) John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GE, Edinburgh, 26 February 1873, 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/95241