Brussels, 14-16 May [1846] 

Dear Weiwi, 

Herewith a belated letter. All manner of things have intervened. 
I had already intended to write to you from Liége” as arranged. 
But because of money problems I was averse to doing so. I readily 
put off such problems from one day to the next. But eventually, 
of course, one has to take the plunge. 

You will shortly be getting an official letter from here. The 
manuscripts will be with you shortly.2 The second volume is almost 
ready. As soon as the manuscripts for the first volume arrive 
(better to send them in two consignments) it would be most 
desirable that printing should begin.”’ 

As to your idea about Limburg, it may be all right for 
pamphlets; books of more than 20 sheets are best printed in 
Germany proper. I think I’ve found a way of doing this which 1. 

a K. Marx and F. Engels, The German Ideology and other works intended for 
publication in the planned quarterly. 

will nominally leave Meyer out of it altogether, 2. will make things 
very difficult for the governments and 3. strongly commends itself 
insofar as the dispatch arrangements would be placed in very 
efficient hands. 

Vogler, who resides here and has a commission agent’ in Leipzig, 
a man chiefly engaged in the dissemination of books liable to 
confiscation, would, you see, take over the whole bookselling side. 
The books themselves would be printed in Germany. In each case 
the editor would appear as publisher, i.e. ‘Published by the Author’. 
Vogler has offered his services on the following terms which I 
quote word for word from one of his letters to me?: 

‘In return for 10 per cent of the receipts at the Fair 1 undertake responsibility 
for all charges such as dispatch, carriage, delivery, cash collection, commission and 
the like, provided the books are delivered to me carriage paid Leipzig.’ 

Thus Vogler would make out the invoices here, and the books 
would be sent from the place of publication direct to his 
commission agent in Leipzig. The place of publication should not, 
of course, be in Prussia. Vogler’s account would be settled at each 
Easter Fair. 

It seems to me that for the time being this would be the best 
course for books of more than 20 sheets. For pamphlets, your 
suggestion is certainly a good one. As regards a joint-stock 
bookseller I shall see what I can do. At all events it will create 
difficulties. 

If Meyer agrees to Vogler’s proposal we could start at once—it 
would only be necessary to find some place of publication outside 
Prussia. 

1 had got thus far when your next letter arrived, the one 
addressed to Ph. Gigot as well as to me personally. Engels is sitting 
beside me at this moment to reply to the part concerning us all.** I 
frankly admit that the news it contains has affected me rather 
disagreeably. 

1 am, as you know, in a serious financial predicament. In order 
to make ends meet for the time being here, I recently pawned the 
last of the gold and silver as well as a large part of the linen. 
Moreover, so as to economise, I have given up our own 
establishment for the present and moved to the Bois Sauvage 
here. Otherwise I should have had to hire a new maid as the 
youngest child* is now being weaned. 

a A. T. Thomas - > of 9 May 1846 - © Laura, born in September 1845. 

I have vainly cast around in Trier (chez my mother) and in 
Cologne chez one of her business acquaintances with a view to 
borrowing the 1200 fr. I need to set my affairs in order again. 
Hence the news about the booksellers is all the more unwelcome 
since I had hoped to get this money as an advance on the Political 
Economy.*? 

No doubt there are sundry bourgeois in Cologne who would 
probably advance me the money for a definite period.” But some 
time ago these people adopted a line that in principle is 
diametrically opposed to my own, and hence I should not care to 
be beholden to them in any way. 

As to the fee for the publication, only the half for volume 1 is 
due to me, as you know. 

As though one’s own misfortunes were not enough, I, as editor 
of the publication, am also getting a stream of urgent letters, etc., 
from every quarter. There is, in particular, the unpleasant matter 
of Bernays. As you know, he had already received 104 fr. on 
account through you. Bernays had given a bill of exchange due 12 
May (to his baker), he couldn’t pay, so it had to be protested, 
which gave rise to further expenses, etc., etc. Now the baker wants 
to have him locked up. He wrote to me; I, of course, couldn’t help 
him, but to put the matter off temporarily, took the only possible 
course: 

1. wrote a fruitless letter to Herwegh in Paris, asking him to 
forward the amount to Bernays pending the appearance of his 
essay **; 

2. wrote a letter in French to Bernays to keep his creditor at 
bay if need be, in which I informed him that, on publication, he 
would receive a fee amounting to so and so much.*? Whereupon 
the citizen granted him an extension until 2 June. Bernays is liable 
for the expenses of the protest, etc., 120 fr. (I can’t remember the 
exact sum). 

As you can see, misére on all sides! At this moment I’m at a loss 
what to do. 

Some other time I shall write you a more substantial letter. You 
must excuse my silence on the grounds that al] this financial stress 
has come on top of much work, domestic duties, ete. 

Farewell. 

Yours 
M. 

4 See this volume, pp. 40-41. 

My wife and I send our warm regards to your betrothed.* 

Be it noted, and to anticipate any misunderstandings, that Hess 
has nothing more due to him from the two volumes I am now 
editing; on the contrary he still has some to hand back to us.” 

My private address: Au Bois Sauvage. Chez M. Lannoy, Plaine 
Ste Gudule, N. 19. , 

When writing to me privatum address letters: A Mr Lannoy, 
Plaine Ste Gudule, Bruxelles, under cover.