Letter to Pyotr Lavrov, October 5, 1871

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 5 October 1871


First published in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXVI, Moscow, 1935
Printed according to the original
Translated from the French
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 44


ENGELS TO PYOTR LAVROV

IN PARIS

London, 5 October 1871

My dear Friend,

I found your letter[1] on my return from Ramsgate, where Johnson[2] and I had just been spending a couple of days.[3]

As to the money that is still owing to me, might I request you, first, before the end of this month to take out another quarterly subscription for me to the Gazette des Tribuneaux. My subscription expires on 31 October. Later on I may, perhaps, wish you to make some other purchases in Paris, so do not hasten to remit any money to me. As for the Buckle,[4] etc., I am always at your command. I shall also send you The Eastern Post whenever there is anything of interest.

As for the firm of TpH6ep-b,[5] it is perfectly sound and reliable, and you may therefore deliver goods to it without the slightest misgivings. The address was certainly written by Johnson and it was certainly Cep.[6] who delivered it to the person in question. Moreover, it was supplied over here with a goodly assortment of engravings. We are temporarily rather short of this article and shall not be able to make any deliveries just now.

I conveyed your letter to our friend in Lower Charles St.[7] He no longer deals with the matter in question, which has passed into other hands and has thus lost much of the interest it held for us.

Jung

To give you more precise information would involve entering into endless detail; suffice it to say that a few of the people on whose behalf the business was to be undertaken have behaved in a shameful manner, and refuse, despite our admonitions, to break with individuals undeserving either of credit or of trust, and even go so far as to accept their guidance in their speculations.[8] As a result, their closest acquaintances have pulled out in the belief that it would be throwing money down the drain to encourage them in undertakings which would either end badly or merely serve to benefit out-and-out rogues. The individuals in question have, by the way, or so I believe, obtained what they needed elsewhere. But there are always a number of good honest lads whose business is gravely hampered by want of capital and if some way could be found of providing them with funds, we should be delighted. An approach might be made to Johnson who, as you know, is the general intermediary in such matters. My salutations to all our friends.

Yours ever,

F. E.

  1. ↑ Lavrov's letter of 29 September and this one by Engels refer to a consignment of books for Lavrov (see this volume, p. 218) and also discuss in a coded form the organisation of assistance to the French refugees.
  2. ↑ Marx
  3. ↑ Marx, his wife Jenny and Engels went on holiday to Ramsgate from 28 September to 3 October 1871.
  4. ↑ H. T. Buckle, History of Civilization in England.
  5. ↑ Triber (written in Cyrillic in the original)
  6. ↑ Serraillier (written in Cyrillic in the original)
  7. ↑ Hermann
  8. ↑ This probably refers to certain French refugees and the Society of Commune Refugees (see this volume, p. 274).