London, 9 November 1886 

Dear Sir, 

All this time I have been busy with the English translation of Vol- 
ume [5° which I hope will now be finished in a few weeks as I have 
read the first proof-sheets of the whole and only now have to read 2nd 
and 3rd corrections of the last 10 sheets. It was very hard work, as af- 
ter all I shall be held responsible for the text. I have not been able to 
do anything else during that time, and thus a heap of other little mat- 
ters have accumulated which I now shall clear off and then return to 
the 3rd volume. This, as I believe I told you, I have dictated from the 
original ms. into a legible handwriting, * and the greater part of it will 
not require much revision, but the chapter on the transformation of 
the rate of surplus value into the rate of profit, and that on banking 
capital, and to some extent —also that on the rent of land °°? will 
take a deal of working out yet. I hope to bring the whole out next 
year, but shall not send anything off to the printer until the whole is 
completed. 

The sale of Volume II up to March 1886 was 1,300 copies. * 

As soon as the English translation is out, I shall forward you 
a copy. 

The reviews of Volume II in the German press have been exceed- 
ingly stupid. One, by a Dr Gross in Vienna, was very decent,” but 
the man is an idiot. Another by Professor Lexis in Breslau“ is very 
clever in its way, the man understands the book perfectly, and knows 
that nothing can be said against it; but he is a ‘Streber’ * and therefore 
disguises himself as a Vulgdrékonom. It is in Hildebrand’s Jahrbticher 
für Nationalikonomie und Statistik, XI. Band, 1885, 5tes Heft (5 De- 
zember 1885). 

* See this volume, p. 348. -> G. Grof, ‘Marx, Karl: Das Kapital. Kritik der politischen Oceko- 
nomie. Zweiter Band, Buch II’, Jahrbuch für Gesetzgebung, Verwaltung und Volkswirths- 
chaft im Deutschen Reich, No. 2, 1886. -° W. Lexis, ‘Die Marx’sche Kapital- 
theorie’. -° ‘pusher’ 

299. Engels to E. T. About 13 November 1886 923 

I shall be only too glad when I can bring out the 3rd volume for as 
you say only then will the whole system of the author be completely 
understood and many stupid objections made at present will fall com- 
pletely to the ground. 

Yours faithfully, 
P. W. Rosher 36°