London, 9 August 1871 
My dear Sidorov,’* 
Here are the prices of the English books: 

Lecky, History of the Spirit of Rationalism — £-. 16/- 
Ditto, Ditto of European Morals‘ —” 1.8/- 
Tylor, Primitive Culture —” 1.4/- 
Lubbock, Origin of Civilisation —”-, 16/-" 
Maine, Ancient Law —”., 12/- 
Ditto, Rural Communities —”-. 9/- 

These are bookseller’s prices and there would be a discount of 
about 15 per cent on the above. However, if you authorise me to 
try and get them for you second-hand, I would probably have to 
pay no more than half the price and my little bookseller would 
gladly attend to the matter. I would have let you have this 
information sooner, but my bookseller has been away on his 
travels. 

You will have received a letter from Williams" yesterday. We 
have not had more recent news from the indisposed traveller,” 
but we have found the means of conveying a letter by safe hand to 
Ierep6yprz‘ and hope soon to have the more detailed news for 
which we have insistently been asking. 

As to the Tauchnitz edition of Buckle,’ I know nothing about it 
but I should be very surprised if it does not exist—any German 
bookseller in Paris would, by the way, be able to tell you. 

I am sending you the last two numbers of The Eastern 
Post.?" 

We have had various new arrivals here, amongst others 

a Lavrov’s pseudonym used by Engels in their correspondence. - 
b W. E. H. Lecky, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in 
Europe.- © Idem, History of European Morals from Augustus to Charlemagne. - 
d J. Lubbock, The Origin of Civilisation and the Primitive Condition of Man. - 
¢ H. S. Maine, Village-communities in the East and West.- (Russ.) St Petersburg. 
Engels is referring to Marx’s letter, signed A. Williams, to Danielson of 22 July 1871 
(see this volume, pp. 174-75). - 8 H. T. Buckle, History of Civilization in England. 

Baaban, Telicb, Aouré,* probably Williams has written to you 
about that. 

Could you arrange a subscription for me to the Gazette des 
Tribuneaux beginning on 7 August or even 1 August? We need the 
most authentic text of the Versailles trials” for our historical 
studies and there is no other journal to my knowledge that would 
give as comprehensive a report. At the same time I don’t know 
how to get hold of it over here, and there is no time to lose, for if 
we delay we might miss the most interesting numbers. You would 
greatly oblige us if you could see to this matter; we shall attend to 
your outlays afterwards. 

Another thing. In order to make a study of military events 
during the two sieges of Paris,’ I need a plan of Paris and its 
environs, the best that is to be had, giving if possible also the street 
names in Neuilly and the other minor localities where fighting 
took place. I have tried in vain to obtain one here. Perhaps you 
could give me the title of a detailed map and the publisher’s name 
after which I should have no difficulty in procuring it. 

So you see, my dear friend, that you cannot live in Paris with 
impunity and that I shall probably have more commissions for you 
than you will have for me. Meanwhile let me know what to do 
about the English books and rest assured of my cordial respects. 

F. Engels