John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 February 1872
Title
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 February 1872
Title
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 February 1872
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
George Henry Lewes
Date(s)
- 1872-02-21
Place
Edinburgh
Letter Content
John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 February 1872
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Randolph Crescent
February 21/72.
My Dear Lewes
I am happy to tell you that the sale of Middlemarch goes on very steadily. Inclosed is a mem. of sales since the 12th. There is also a regular dropping sale of Book one.
Mrs. Lewes is I hope better and in better spirits. I am sure if she heard the comments in this house on her wondrous work it would do her heart good. I indulged my wife and daughter with a perusal of the sheets of Book III and I have also been indulging myself with a perusal of the whole over again. It is a chorus among us of wonderful, perfect, etc. and each commentator is anxious to allude to the points as if being the first to mention any of them gave a share in the merit. I observe that the only comment the Critics outside can make in the way of fault finding is that this or that character does not appear so much as they could wish. A very high compliment I should say.
My talking so much of home criticism arises partly from my having been confined to the house for the last fortnight. I had not felt well for some time and went on fighting against it, trying to work and varying it with Golf until at last I found I was fit for nothing but bed. The cold and general malaise turned into violent sore throat and I had a very disagreeable bout of it, but as I never fevered at all I have come out of it wonderfully well and strong to the surprise of my Doctor (the successor to dear old Burt who died some years ago) who had never seen me ill before. Indeed I do not recollect being regularly laid up in this way since I was a lad.
I feel quite well now and expect to Golf in a few days.
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
G. H. Lewes Esq.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Randolph Crescent
February 21/72.
My Dear Lewes
I am happy to tell you that the sale of Middlemarch goes on very steadily. Inclosed is a mem. of sales since the 12th. There is also a regular dropping sale of Book one.
Mrs. Lewes is I hope better and in better spirits. I am sure if she heard the comments in this house on her wondrous work it would do her heart good. I indulged my wife and daughter with a perusal of the sheets of Book III and I have also been indulging myself with a perusal of the whole over again. It is a chorus among us of wonderful, perfect, etc. and each commentator is anxious to allude to the points as if being the first to mention any of them gave a share in the merit. I observe that the only comment the Critics outside can make in the way of fault finding is that this or that character does not appear so much as they could wish. A very high compliment I should say.
My talking so much of home criticism arises partly from my having been confined to the house for the last fortnight. I had not felt well for some time and went on fighting against it, trying to work and varying it with Golf until at last I found I was fit for nothing but bed. The cold and general malaise turned into violent sore throat and I had a very disagreeable bout of it, but as I never fevered at all I have come out of it wonderfully well and strong to the surprise of my Doctor (the successor to dear old Burt who died some years ago) who had never seen me ill before. Indeed I do not recollect being regularly laid up in this way since I was a lad.
I feel quite well now and expect to Golf in a few days.
always yours truly
John Blackwood.
G. H. Lewes Esq.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to GHL, Edinburgh, 21 February 1872, 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/95388