[London,] 12 November 1869 
Dear Fred, 

This week something suspicious has displayed itself in my left 
arm-pit (as in Manchester**’), and on my leg. Arsenic again 
immediately. Additionally, Tussy forces me to take long walks with 
her after 1 or 2 o'clock every day. Finally, today introduced 
surreptitiously for the first time a flannel vest, since a cold in this 
state is not pleasant. 

You are surprised by the pluck of the French," and speak 
SOMEWHAT SNEERINGLY Of us upright Germans. What risks we take you 
will see from the enclosed extravaganza. 

In Stuttgart, in accordance with his habit, Freiligrath once again 
had himself photographed in several dozen poses, decked out as a 
statue, etc. The most successful holy picture of this Classen- 
Kappelmann-hero is— verbotenus*—a scene in which he as a lion 
rides on a camel. This is probably a back-hander for Heine’s camel 
who defeats the lion.‘ 

Liebknecht will be taking off next week for 3 months in prison, 
and has sent Borkheim a desperate plea for money. 

What scares me about the French is the terrible confusion in 
their heads. Ledru-Rollin’s circular letter is quite that of a 
pretender.“ He really appears to take au sérieux the dictatorship 
over France offered him by Heinzen. On the other hand, Zukunft 
has been good enough to offer Mr Acollas, whom nobody in Paris 
knows, a post in the provisional government, because he had 
called the French to accept Dr J. Jacoby’s programme instead of 
the antiquated human and citoyen rights of 1793. One good 
turn deserves another. I find that our Jacoby himself is not playing 
properly the role he dictated for himself. Grasping the opportuni- 
ty of the Hanoverian event,** should he not call on the Prussian 
sergeant-major-government—since Prussia is, after all, a ‘military 
state’-—also to lay aside those useless and, at the same time, 
expensive decorations, such as chambers, civil courts and the like? 
Wrapping oneself up silently in the depths of one’s own moral 
indignation does not lure a soul from his hearth. 

A while ago, the Russian gentlemen bombarded an island near 
Korea just for amusement, as Borkheim discovered in a Moscow 
newspaper.’ Not a word about it in the English papers. If things 
go on like this, these fine fellows will soon be in possession of 
Japan. 

The latest meetings in Ireland were very nice; the clerics were 
seized by their collars and removed from the speaker’s stand. 
Instead of the programme on Ireland, for which there is no 
proper motive, I have had (in order to adopt resolutions) the 
following placed on the agenda for next Tuesday." 

1. Proceedings of the English ministry on the Irish amnesty 
question! 

a See this volume, p. 369. - » literally - © See H. Heine, Atta Troll. - 4 seriously - 
€ citizen - f «Bom6apauposaHie Kopelickoii KperocTH BHHTOBOM AOAKOM Coborv>», 
Mocxoecxia ebdomocmu, No. 207, 23 September 1869. - & See this volume, p. 364. - 
h 16 November 

2. The attitude of the English working class to the Irish 

question. 
Salut. 
Your 
K. M.