16 May, 1870. Dear Fred, Enclosed a very charming scrawl from Wilhelm! That fool is beginning to become frightful. I wrote to him in my last letter that Borkheim is very ill, that the doctor has forbidden him to write, even for a long time after his recovery, and that the continuation of Bakunin’s twaddle, which should never have been accepted, must therefore be suspended, etc.! What does the brute do? In today’s issue of the Volksstaat he prints a personal abusive article by the vagabond Nechayev against Borkheim! I fear, indeed, that B. will be excited by this in a manner dangerous for him. B. wished—wrote me the day before yesterday—wished to see me. I could not comply on account of my very disgusting cold and cough. But my wife was there yesterday. War n (?) He is still very weak and all excitement is quite specially forbidden by the doctor! The arrival of the Volksstaat today will have caused a fine scene! I immediately wrote to the honest blockhead W. and gave him a good dressing down. At the same time remarked that his remarks about you were “too childish” to reply to. He may rest assured, however, that to you his (Wilhelm’s) “private views on Hegel or anything else” are a matter of complete indifference, likewise the circumstance “which” and “how many sorts of studies” he (W.) “despises a little”. The fellow’s assertion that he has led “for 22 years a restless life, excluding all leisure”, is delicious. We know that he spent about 15 of those 22 years in idleness. I send you the Echo, which you must keep, on account of the disavowal of the French Branch also printed in the Marseillaise, the Internationale (Brussels) and our other organs. The circumstances were at last so favourable as to afford us the opportunity of giving the rabble an official kick. Mayence! soit! That Bracke has your private letter to him printed in the Volksstaat is a little indiscreet. But the intention is good, and I even believe that this operation was politically correct. They evidently wanted to give Schweitzer a kick thereby. Regarding the lousy Irish legislation commission, there is already all sorts of things in the Irishman. I shall try to find out the necessary about it. If my condition does not soon change so that it no longer prevents me from working, I may possibly come to Manchester for 8–14 days. For if nothing helps, a change of air might help. D KM