John Blackwood to William Blackwood, London, 7 December 1859
Title
John Blackwood to William Blackwood, London, 7 December 1859
Title
John Blackwood to William Blackwood, London, 7 December 1859
Sender
John Blackwood
Recipient
William Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1859-12-07
Place
London
Letter Content
John Blackwood to William Blackwood, London, 7 December 1859
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Cavendish | December 7/59 | 5 p.m.
My Dear Bill
I came back a few minutes ago from Holly Lodge after a very long and on the whole very satisfactory interview.
I have brought away with me a volume and half of M.S. which I am to read at the Isle of Wight and see if we can make some arrangement next week. She is determined to stand by us, and if we cannot agree about a sum will agree to so much per 1000, so send me to the Isle of Wight a statement of the cost and produce at 1/11/6, 12/- and it may be worth while to send a 7/6 or 6/- edit. statement. She said her wish was to make some arrangement always to publish with us as long as she could write anything worth publishing and as she was determined that no publisher should ever lose by her she did not see how we could have a difficulty in coming to some arrangement. Lewes has a notion of publishing in 1/- numbers, and had got from Evans (Bradbury) a statement of the cost and produce which was 100 'a3 for 10,000 of each number including plates. This on a sale of 10,000 gave a profit of 5000 'a3. Simpson will easily verify this.
The offer to which she alluded in her last letter was 4500 'a3 for publication in a periodical 434 and two editions afterwards which she had determined against as she would not publish in a periodical and is against Lewes' 1/- number scheme.
I told her the offer was a very large one and that I would not offer any wild sum such as I was sure people trying to start a periodical and help off other things would give. She said she did not wish any such offer from me and that this one was entirely dismissed and that I was not to consider what others would give for the purpose of assisting them in their speculations but simply what was likely to produce a fair profit to myself with a good sum to her. She means what she says too I think. Lewes is much the keener of the two. I was glad to see how she was looking, and she said herself that she had got over her worry and annoyance very much. She looked better than I have seen her and had not the vexed anxious look which was generally painfully visible.
Charlie 435 has just been in and I am much vexed to find the result of his exam. Delane too has been sitting here for the last 'bd hour and I must send this to Charing Cross.
ever yours affectionately
John Blackwood.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
The Cavendish | December 7/59 | 5 p.m.
My Dear Bill
I came back a few minutes ago from Holly Lodge after a very long and on the whole very satisfactory interview.
I have brought away with me a volume and half of M.S. which I am to read at the Isle of Wight and see if we can make some arrangement next week. She is determined to stand by us, and if we cannot agree about a sum will agree to so much per 1000, so send me to the Isle of Wight a statement of the cost and produce at 1/11/6, 12/- and it may be worth while to send a 7/6 or 6/- edit. statement. She said her wish was to make some arrangement always to publish with us as long as she could write anything worth publishing and as she was determined that no publisher should ever lose by her she did not see how we could have a difficulty in coming to some arrangement. Lewes has a notion of publishing in 1/- numbers, and had got from Evans (Bradbury) a statement of the cost and produce which was 100 'a3 for 10,000 of each number including plates. This on a sale of 10,000 gave a profit of 5000 'a3. Simpson will easily verify this.
The offer to which she alluded in her last letter was 4500 'a3 for publication in a periodical 434 and two editions afterwards which she had determined against as she would not publish in a periodical and is against Lewes' 1/- number scheme.
I told her the offer was a very large one and that I would not offer any wild sum such as I was sure people trying to start a periodical and help off other things would give. She said she did not wish any such offer from me and that this one was entirely dismissed and that I was not to consider what others would give for the purpose of assisting them in their speculations but simply what was likely to produce a fair profit to myself with a good sum to her. She means what she says too I think. Lewes is much the keener of the two. I was glad to see how she was looking, and she said herself that she had got over her worry and annoyance very much. She looked better than I have seen her and had not the vexed anxious look which was generally painfully visible.
Charlie 435 has just been in and I am much vexed to find the result of his exam. Delane too has been sitting here for the last 'bd hour and I must send this to Charing Cross.
ever yours affectionately
John Blackwood.
Signature
John Blackwood.
Citation
John Blackwood, John Blackwood to William Blackwood, London, 7 December 1859, 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/95474