Letter to Karl Marx, December 13, 1869

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 13 December 1869


First published in Der Briefwechsel zwischen F. Engels und K. Marx, Bd. 4, Stuttgart, 1913
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 43


ENGELS TO MARX

IN LONDON

Manchester, 13 December 1869

Dear Moor,

Enclosed—what I have discovered from Davies[1] and otherwise about Irish land ownership ABOUT 1600. The post will be closing immediately, so I must keep things short today.

About the Solingen people—ALL RIGHT. From the start it was my opinion that both of us had a special interest in the people.[2] I shall probably go to Barmen next week, as my mother simply insists I spend a Christmas at home again, and this time it is very possible that I shall travel to Solingen and see the people myself.

Correction of incorrect reports would naturally be of no help.[3] It would have to be done every week.

I have the Curran[4] here, in an edition that is probably much more complete, but I suppose I shall be glad also to acquire the new edition. For the time being I have enough to do with the early history up to 1660, and as soon as I'm finished with that, the period 1782-1800 will naturally be my main interest. First of all, however, I want to finish off the old stuff, particularly since I have found that the original positions between 1172-1600 are everywhere represented completely falsely, and I am only slowly discovering the original sources.

Not heard anything about Prendergast yet[5] ? This book will soon be indispensable to me, or its lack will become very gênant[6] .

More tomorrow.

Your

F. E.

  1. ↑ J. Davies, Historical Tracts.
  2. ↑ See this volume, pp. 395, 396-97.
  3. ↑ Ibid., pp. 397-98.
  4. ↑ J. Ph. Curran, The Speeches of the Right Honorable John Philpot Curran, 2nd edition, Dublin, 1855.
  5. ↑ J. P. Prendergast, The Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland.
  6. ↑ painful