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Special pages :
Letter to Jenny Marx, November 5, 1859
| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 5 November 1859 |
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 40
ENGELS TO JENNY MARX
IN LONDON
Manchester, 5 November 1859
Dear Mrs Marx,
I must really beg you to forgive me for having been so shockingly remiss that Moor finally had to get you to extract the article in question[1] from me. However, I had no idea that it was needed for anything except staving off possible ructions on Mr Pulszky's part and hence was in no hurry at all about returning it.[2]
But this time it really is enclosed.
Freiligrath, the fat philistine, is really behaving in a most disgraceful way and deserves to be well and truly chastised, for which an opportunity will, I trust, soon present itself. Most amusing is the Trojan War over the momentous question as to who should have the cantata and who the festive speech, and which is to come first, the speech or the cantata.[3] The philistines up here are greatly vexed by Lupus' and my refusal to get mixed up in the Schiller do. Only yesterday evening I had another sparring match with three enthusiastic Schillerians. These folk are quite unable to comprehend how anyone could fail to jump at such a beautiful opportunity for self-advertisement. They want to found a 'Schiller Institute'[4] here, i.e. a German club in which to read, eat, drink, hold lectures, do gymnastics, act plays, make music and goodness knows what else. Borchardt was silly enough to attend the preliminary meeting and to speak against it (he urged me to go too but for that very reason I stayed away) and when it was put to the vote, Hoyoll the crippled painter and one other man voted with him, and Borchardt, of course, suffered a spectacular defeat. Subsequently he subscribed £4 10/- to the thing, which makes him a member for 3 years. You have no idea what German erudition has suddenly come to light here on this occasion. There's a Dr Götze, a Dr Marcus, a Dr Dolch, a Dr Samelson, all fellows of whom one had never heard before. These and a few aesthetic Jews have taken charge of the whole thing, and once again erudition plays mentor to the Jews—save in the
case of Samelson, he's a doctor who, for the past four years, has 'quite recently settled in Manchester'. Nothing but self- advertisement and tittle-tattle, and they actually expect one to take part in it.
For that matter, I myself am indulging in tittle-tattle, as you see, and hence it would be best for me to break off altogether. Please give my warmest regards to the girls, and do not forget Moor.
Your
F. Engels