Letter to M. R. Cotar, April 8, 1893

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 8 April 1893


First published in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXIX, Moscow, 1946
Printed according to the original
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 50

ENGELS TO M. R. COTAR[1]

IN PARIS [Draft]

[London,] 8 April 1893[2]

Dear Comrade,

I have kept your letter of 21/3 on one side for some time. Lafargue and Mrs Lafargue were on the point of coming over here and I therefore

wished to take the opportunity of consulting both Marx's daughters per- sonally about your inquiry.

You are totally unknown not only to me but also to the Lafargues, and you will understand that it wouldn't do to entrust a total stranger with a matter as important and as difficult as the French translation of Volume II of Capital.

Apart from a thorough knowledge of the German language, it also calls for an equally thorough grounding in economics, and this, unfortunately, is to be found only very rarely amongst young socialists. That is something that would also have to be discussed beforehand.

Next, you seek my collaboration—and on this score all I can say to you is that for years to come my time will be fully occupied with projects that are of at least equal importance.

Most important of all, however, and this alone might give actuality to your inquiry, is that there should be a publisher for the translation. If you have one, that and nothing else would repay the trouble involved in taking the other questions into consideration.

Yours very truly

  1. ↑ Engels wrote the draft of his reply on an empty page of M.R. Cotar's letter of 21 March 1893. Cotar asked for permission to translate Volume II of Das Kapital into French and requested assistance in this undertaking.
  2. ↑ 1892 in the Ms.