[London, ] 11 May 1870 

Dear Frep, 

I only noted from your letter today that I had forgotten to 
enclose the Wilhelm.* It follows herewith, ditto, letter from 
Bracke, etc., which I must have back before Tuesday, when I 
intend to be on my feet again. Mainz, Darmstadt, Mannheim *°? 
Wouldn’t Mannheim be best? Mainz is a Prussian fortress city. 

With regard to the Welsh, I don’ find the main thing in my 
notebooks. But this much: 

The community of goods was accompanied by Celtic looseness of the marriage 
tie, already known in antiquity, at the same time, however, voting rights for women 
in the tribal assembly.’ (W. Wachsmuth, ‘Europäische Sittengeschichte’, Zwetter Teil, 
Leipzig, 1833.) 

Wachsmuth bases his description specifically on the laws of King 
Dyonwall Moelmud and Howel Ddas.” ‘Leges Molmutinae. Trans- 
lated by William Probert: ‘Tue ancient Laws oF CAMBRIA, CONTAINING THE 
INSTITUTIONAL TRIADS OF D. Moetmup, THE LAws OF HoweL THE Goon, 
TRIADICAL COMMENTARIES, CODE OF EDUCATION, AND THE HUNTING LAws OF WALES”, 
London, 1823’, and: ‘Edward Davies, “Celtic Researches”, London 
1804’. 

I find noted in my notebooks, as curiosities: 

‘Precepts on ascertaining virginity. The testimony of one person suffices, e.g., 
that of a girl on her virginity. ‘A man who has got rid of one bed-companion 
because of another atones with as many denarii as are necessary to cover the 
bottom of the complainant. A woman who lays a plaint against a man for rape 
clasps his member with her left hand, lays her right upon reliquaries, and thus 
swears her testimony.’ 

‘Fornication with the queen costs the double mult to the king.’ 

The first chapter of the book on common law deals with the women. 

‘If his wife lay with another man and he beats her, he sacrifices his claim to 
indemnification... What a wife might dispose of—differing according to station—is 
exactly specified. The wife of a peasant (taeawgh) might only dispose of her 
neck-band, and might lend only her sieve, and this not further than her voice could 
be heard when demanding its return. The wife of a nobleman (uchelwr) could 
dispose of cloak, shirt, shoes, etc., but lend all her household utensils. Sufficient 
grounds for divorce for a wife were the man’s impotence, scabies and bad breath.’ 

@ Liebknecht’s letter (see this volume, p. 513) - > the Good 

Quite some lads, these Celts. But born dialecticians, everything 
being composed in triads. When I leave the house again I shall 
look up Wachsmuth on phanerogamy in the Museum.’ 

At this opportunity I have also found in my _ notebooks 
quotations from various writings on Ireland, but which you have 
certainly seen, or are superfluous because of better sources. One 
book, the title of which I cannot read properly, Ogygia or Ogygia 
by R. O'Flaherty, London, 1685. 

Dr Charles O’Conor: Scriptores Rerum Hibernicarum. Buckin- 
gham (1814-1826, 4 volumes). 

The antiquities and history of Ireland, by Jam. Ware, London, 1705; 
Ware, Two books of the writers of Ireland. Dublin, 1709.°' 

In the case of Bakunin, either the transaction has broken down, 
or it has been arranged thus pour sauver les apparences.” Looking at 
things more closely, I discover, that Ogarev is the editor. In the 
first numbers Bakunin has only one letter,“ in which he acts like a 
stranger, attacks the editors for lack of principles, etc., puts on airs 
as a socialist and internationalist, etc. Yet, with ALL THAT, What his 
letter amounts to is that, in theory, all coalitions are to be 
condemned, but in practice, to be sure, Ogarev is right. The main 
thing now is to overthrow Tsarism, and for this the unification of 
all parties hostile to it is necessary, etc., etc. Later they will be able 
to scuffle with one another, etc. Thus, ‘politics’ are permissible for 
socialists in Russia, but not for the world in Western Europe! 

The Russian things I am sending you today you may keep, since 
I have duplicate copies. 

Salut. 

Your 

K. M. 

I shall look around for the Irish grammar as soon as I can go 
out again. 
The state of my last letter was not the fault of the post.