John Blackwood to GE, London, 26 June 1866
Title
John Blackwood to GE, London, 26 June 1866
Title
John Blackwood to GE, London, 26 June 1866
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Eliot
Date(s)
- 1866-06-26
Place
London
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GE, London, 26 June 1866
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Burlington, Cork St. | London, June 26/66.
My Dear Madam
Your pleasant letter from Schwalbach is extremely welcome and I am truly glad to hear that both Lewes and you have benefited so much by the change. I had begun to fear that you had been captured by some advanced pocket of Prussians and did not know where to write.
The chorus of applause upon Felix waxes loud and strong. The "Great British Public" is not yet sufficiently aware of the existence of the book to affect the sale but the expressions of public and private opinions which are pouring forth will I think get at the monster speedily.
The difficulty of making the public know about a book is wonderful, and while I am writing it occurs to me that the real plan would be to hire a hundred fellows to go about London with a placard shouting "Felix Holt the Radical is published this day." This is an id'e9e and if you and Lewes were near to consult I am not sure whether I would not act upon it.
I told you I found Bulwer beginning Felix, and he writes and tells me in conversation that he did not give up until he finished it. His admiration is intense. He objects as I did to the plot qu'e2 Mrs. Transome as being too painful for an inadequate object, but what does it signify, he continued; the writing is wonderful and what is an author unless he is a Great Writer? These are not his exact words but convey the import I think.
Old Mr. Gleig 490 the Chaplain General is enthusiastic especially about Esther, whom he declares he has seen. I was greatly taken with the clear-headed old gentleman on the subject yesterday.
Laurence Oliphant, whom I daresay you have heard me speak of as a great friend and companion of mine, is the man whom as far as I have heard you would most like to listen to on the subject of the book. He goes in for Felix and self-sacrifice, taking up your own intentions in the book.
Had I seen him in time I think I would have asked him to review for me. However my own reviewer has I think done it very gracefully and well -- better and more thoroughly like a gentleman in tone than any of the others although he does not agree with Felix and Esther abnegation[?] of wealth as a means of doing good. 491
The others are the Times of today, which I daresay you will see, the Spectator 492 of Saturday, the Post of today, the Standard, and a lot of others all highly laudatory. In coming out of the City yesterday I called upon Delane and found him with the review in his hand, and he said he would publish it today if there was not a row and a long debate in the House. I went down to the Carlton between 4 and 5 to hear what was going on, and Lord John Manners came up and told me that Gladstone had adjourned the House. I as nearly as possible exclaimed, "I am deuced glad to hear it." You can conceive the comical effect in my mind, and I think I must explain the reason to Lord John if there was anything unusual in my manner.
What the Times reviewer means by talking of the idea in the trial scene being taken from something in a Novel of Charles Reade's passes my understanding. 493 Doubtless it is something that neither you nor I ever saw. Probably the remark was taken from something Reade had said himself at the Garrick but it does not signify a brass farthing. The review will do a great deal of good although I do not think it a first class performance, but I doubt whether anybody could please me quite with a review of Felix. It is nearly always so with a big book when you really know and feel it. I am making a collection of these reviews and will send them to you if you like. At the Saturday Review dinner on Saturday I sat next the reviewer of Felix in that paper, a very nice young fellow named Morley. 494
I shall send Oliphant to call upon you when you return to Town. He is a man you will both like.
I am off to see if I can get into the House to hear Gladstone's explanation. 495 Nobody knows what is going to happen and from what I heard I am satisfied that Ministers were in a state of utter indecision as late as Saturday night.
I am pretty well knocked over with my London life and hope to be off to the North on Friday so address to Edinburgh. With best regards to Lewes believe me
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
Mrs. Lewes.
Willie is at Torquay on his way to Edinburgh.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Burlington, Cork St. | London, June 26/66.
My Dear Madam
Your pleasant letter from Schwalbach is extremely welcome and I am truly glad to hear that both Lewes and you have benefited so much by the change. I had begun to fear that you had been captured by some advanced pocket of Prussians and did not know where to write.
The chorus of applause upon Felix waxes loud and strong. The "Great British Public" is not yet sufficiently aware of the existence of the book to affect the sale but the expressions of public and private opinions which are pouring forth will I think get at the monster speedily.
The difficulty of making the public know about a book is wonderful, and while I am writing it occurs to me that the real plan would be to hire a hundred fellows to go about London with a placard shouting "Felix Holt the Radical is published this day." This is an id'e9e and if you and Lewes were near to consult I am not sure whether I would not act upon it.
I told you I found Bulwer beginning Felix, and he writes and tells me in conversation that he did not give up until he finished it. His admiration is intense. He objects as I did to the plot qu'e2 Mrs. Transome as being too painful for an inadequate object, but what does it signify, he continued; the writing is wonderful and what is an author unless he is a Great Writer? These are not his exact words but convey the import I think.
Old Mr. Gleig 490 the Chaplain General is enthusiastic especially about Esther, whom he declares he has seen. I was greatly taken with the clear-headed old gentleman on the subject yesterday.
Laurence Oliphant, whom I daresay you have heard me speak of as a great friend and companion of mine, is the man whom as far as I have heard you would most like to listen to on the subject of the book. He goes in for Felix and self-sacrifice, taking up your own intentions in the book.
Had I seen him in time I think I would have asked him to review for me. However my own reviewer has I think done it very gracefully and well -- better and more thoroughly like a gentleman in tone than any of the others although he does not agree with Felix and Esther abnegation[?] of wealth as a means of doing good. 491
The others are the Times of today, which I daresay you will see, the Spectator 492 of Saturday, the Post of today, the Standard, and a lot of others all highly laudatory. In coming out of the City yesterday I called upon Delane and found him with the review in his hand, and he said he would publish it today if there was not a row and a long debate in the House. I went down to the Carlton between 4 and 5 to hear what was going on, and Lord John Manners came up and told me that Gladstone had adjourned the House. I as nearly as possible exclaimed, "I am deuced glad to hear it." You can conceive the comical effect in my mind, and I think I must explain the reason to Lord John if there was anything unusual in my manner.
What the Times reviewer means by talking of the idea in the trial scene being taken from something in a Novel of Charles Reade's passes my understanding. 493 Doubtless it is something that neither you nor I ever saw. Probably the remark was taken from something Reade had said himself at the Garrick but it does not signify a brass farthing. The review will do a great deal of good although I do not think it a first class performance, but I doubt whether anybody could please me quite with a review of Felix. It is nearly always so with a big book when you really know and feel it. I am making a collection of these reviews and will send them to you if you like. At the Saturday Review dinner on Saturday I sat next the reviewer of Felix in that paper, a very nice young fellow named Morley. 494
I shall send Oliphant to call upon you when you return to Town. He is a man you will both like.
I am off to see if I can get into the House to hear Gladstone's explanation. 495 Nobody knows what is going to happen and from what I heard I am satisfied that Ministers were in a state of utter indecision as late as Saturday night.
I am pretty well knocked over with my London life and hope to be off to the North on Friday so address to Edinburgh. With best regards to Lewes believe me
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
Mrs. Lewes.
Willie is at Torquay on his way to Edinburgh.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GE, London, 26 June 1866, 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/95313