London, 17 March 1891 

Dear Kautsky, 

Thank you for your letter of the 9tn.— The 6 Dahn fascicles* went 
off to you yesterday by parcel post. I should have been hard at work 
on the Origin” if Fischer hadn’t come up with a demand for a new edi- 
tion of 10,000 copies of 1. The Civil War in France,” 2, Marx, Wage La- 
bour and Capital,’ 3. Entwicklung des Sozialismus, etc.’ So I had to 
write an introduction to the Civil War, which went off on Saturday,' 
and at the same time thoroughly revise the thing and append thereto 
the General Council’s 2 addresses on the Franco-Prussian War; fortu- 
nately Louise undertook to translate the latter. Nevertheless it has 
consumed a great deal of time. For Wage Labour and Capital was writ- 
ten in pre-surplus value terminology which cannot possibly be al- 
lowed to stand today in a propaganda piece running to 10,000 copies. 
So I shall have to translate it into present-day language and preface it 
with an apology. Finally, the Soctalism also needs to be revised and, if 
possible, a little more popularised — 10,000 copies is no trifling mat- 
ter---, so how can I find time for anything else? And of all times 
I ought not to withdraw from the field, leaving it free for Lassallean 
pamphlets. But as soon as I have rid myself of this task, I shall tackle 
the Origin. I have pretty well completed the preliminary studies. And 
now along comes a Frenchman, H. Ravé, who wishes to translate the 
thing--- he has translated Bebel’s #rau*—not all that marvellous- 
ly—and wants me if possible to send him revises or clean proof- 
sheets. But the matter has not yet been agreed. 

“ F. Dahn, Urgeschichte der germanischen und romanischen Volker, vols 1-4.-> F. Engels, 
The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State.-‘ the third German edition - 
* the separate German edition of 1891-° the fourth German edition of Socialism: 
Utopian and Scientific -' 14 March -* A. Bebel, Die Frau in der Vergangenheit, Gegenwart 
und Zukunft and La Femme dans le passé, le présent @ Pavenir. 

I congratulate Peschel on his translator.'°? Hope I shan’t suffer the 
same fate. 

The Anti-Brentano is being [pub]lished” by Meissner, 4'/, 
sheets —I am getting him to print all documents, including Sedley 
Taylor and my preface to the 4th edition.* Printing almost complete. 

Apropos, has the Neue eit had a review copy of the (Capital) 4th 
edition? If not, write and let me know at once (postcard) —I had made 
a particular point of this. Ifit has I should be glad if you would publish 
a brief notice in which, in connection with my preface,* you might al- 
so make a discreet allusion to Brentano. 

For want of time I have not been able to have my introduction to 
the Civil War — about 9 or 10 pages of the Neue Zeit — copied out for 
you; this house is a hive of activity; Annie is getting married and 
Louise is having to see about a new girl, etc., added to which there 
have been the promptings of the Berliners. But I have asked Fischer 
to send me 3 clean proof-sheets; alternatively, if the revise turns out 
well I shall send it to you so that you may use it beforehand should 
you wish. If, for one reason or another, it doesn’t suit you, nothing 
will have been lost. 

Not a word from August °— there’s no hurry. Sorge thinks I should 
take no notice of the mighty Vorwdarts article.!°* What do you think? 
I am beginning to incline towards his view. 

The bit in my letter to you about responsibility ‘ was solely for Au- 
gust’s consumption; if 1 had thought it would hurt your feelings in any 
way, I would have omitted it— such a thing had never even crossed 
my mind. And I certainly wasn’t thinking of your note !7! on the par- 
liamentary group’s ukase.? I simply regarded it as my duty, in the 
event of your forwarding the letter to the Berliners, to relieve you of 
as much responsibility as POsIle in their eyes and to take it upon 
myself. Voila tout.* 

Thank you for the Volkszeitung " and Critica Sociale. The first was 
sent me by Sorge, the second by Turati (at the behest of that braggart 
Loria); he now sends it regularly. Since then a still more forceful arti- 
cle, inspired by Sorge, and written by Schliiter, has appeared in the 
Volkszeitung.'°* 

2 F. Engels, Jn the Case of Brentano Versus Marx. - » Manuscript damaged. - © of the 
first volume of Capital - “ to the first volume of Capital - ° August Bebel - ' See this 
volume, p. 133. - That’s all. - > Mew Yorker Volkszeitung 

I too am coming increasingly to believe that the affair has aroused 
no indignation whatever in the party as such and that, for one reason 
or another, it has only hurt the feelings of the gentry in Berlin. And 
even the latter seem to have realised that the provocations in the Vor- 
warts proved abortive as soon as they were uttered and produced no 
effect at all— tombés a plat,* as the French say. Otherwise I should 
have certainly had word from them. 

Your complaints about the Vorwérts (since when has the thing ac- 
quired the masculine gender?) find a sympathetic echo over here. 
Never has such a paper been seen before. I can only wonder how long 
people will stand for it. 

Percy and his family are shortly going to Ryde, Isle of Wight, 
where Percy is to set up and manage an agency for his brothers. 

Kindest regards from 

Your 
F.E,