AT LE PERREUX 
London, 10-11 April 1888 
My dear Laura, 

Schorlemmer returned to Manchester yesterday and so I can sit down 
today and write a few lines, that is to say if Edward and Tussy, who are 
returning from their ‘Castle’ and will be here about 5, do not drop in too 
soon. 

First of all I must congratulate Paul on his splendid discoveries in 
etymology, which are truly astonishing.”? That a great many French 
words which we used to derive from the Latin bos ox, are descended 
from the Greek bois ox, is already something. But that bouillon comes 
from bods and not from bullire to boil, is a great discovery and only pity 
that Paul did not follow it up a little further. Thus Bou-strapa” is 
evidently of the same derivation, and Buo-naparte (for Bo#-naparte) 
also, and Bonapartism being thus connected with ox, Bou-langer must be 
derived from bods; and then also its English equivalent Baker, which 
throws a completely new light on the adventure of Colonel Baker in the 
railway-carriage: how could he help rushing on Europa-Robinson, being 
descended from bods Jupiter?*6! Moreover there can be no doubt that in 
mou-tarde the m stands for an original b, and that thus its derivation 
from bods is assured—what a flood of light this throws on the fact that 
mustard is eaten to beef only and not to mutton! 

Another great progress is to treat Sanskrit on the same level as cran- 
iology, and to have discovered des linguistes d’Allemagne et 
d’Angleterre* who say that le finnois offre plus d’analogie avec les 
idiomes aryens que le sanscrit.’ | have only heard of some who, ascribing 

4 the German and English linguists — > Finnish shows more analogies to Aryan 
idioms than Sanskrit 

to the Aryan nations a European origin instead of an Asiatic one, find 
themselves placed before the awkward predicament of having to accept 
a Finnic origin of the Aryan language without being able, so far, to show 
the least trace of connection between the two. If Paul had tried to derive 
French from Japanese instead of from Greek, he would have done what 
he maintains these poor devils of Germans and English have done. They 
are badly off enough, as it is. They are second-rate and third-rate 
epigones—the Germans that is—some are even Bohemians—who for 
sensational purposes have started—or rather (by a series of mistakes) 
been conducted to—a paradox theory which has landed them in face of 
a dead wall; the Englishmen have taken the thing up as a fashion, as was 
to be expected from beginners who want to show off as masters—they 
have ventilated their rubbish at the last British Association” Meeting 
quite en-famille—but that which Paul ascribes to them—the discovery 
of the connection between Aryan and Finnish, a connection closer even 
than that of the other Aryan languages with Sanskrit their sister- 
tongue—that they are still panting for, and it is to be hoped they do not 
read the Nouvelle Revue or else they would indeed want to know who 
is this Fergus who holds the magic wand which transforms Aryan into 
Finnic and vice versa. But in case they come, Fergus can point to his Irish 
name in justification of his Irish Bulls or bods. 

But joke a part the articles are very good, and what does it matter to 
the Parisians gui s’en fichent* whether Fergus tells them a few bulls 
about etymology. It is far more important that they should learn a little 
about their own language, and that they find here. Only I don’t think it 
is necessary to the amusement of the Parisians that an author should 
commit himself by such assertions. But then we all of us have the incli- 
nation to brag most of what we know least; at all events I know I am.> 

11th April. Exactly as I expected. The two hungry souls* dropped in 
just as I finished the preceding page, bringing eggs, butter, pork pie, 
sausages from their truly rural retreat, and two good appetites. Today I 
had my American mail-day and now try to finish this. 

In France things seems to me to go very well. Boulangism is the just 
and deserved punishment for the cowardice of all parties in the face of 
that bourgeois chauvinism which thinks it can make the clock of univer- 
sal history stand still until France has reconquered Alsace. Fortunately 

@ who do not care a straw — > Engels presumably wanted to say: ‘... I know I 
have it’ — © Eleanor Marx-Aveling and Edward Aveling 

Boulanger proves himself more and more a political ass, more dangerous, 
in my opinion, to himself than to anybody else. Un homme qui a son plan 
comme Trochu kann sich begraben lasssen.* 

For the rest, the Opportunists!” are getting more and more worn out, 
verschlissen, and have to fall back upon the alliance with the 
Monarchists, that is to say upon political suicide. The great progress in 
French public opinion is this: that the Republic is recognised as the only 
possible government, that Monarchy is equivalent to civil war and 
foreign war. The action of the Opportunists (besides their flagrant 
corruption) drives public opinion more and more towards the Left, and 
compels the nomination of more and more radical governments. All this 
in strict harmony with the regular development since 1875. We can wish 
for no more than that this should continue, and if Boulanger assists this 
move unintentionally all the better. The sense which the French have 
unbeknown to themselves—the necessary logical inheritance of a great, 
unconsciously logical history—will I hope prove more powerful than all 
the nonsense they set to work consciously and intentionally. 

The German philistine convinces himself more and more that with 
old William’ the clef de voute4 of the present system has gone, and that 
the whole voiite* will gradually follow. I only hope Bismarck will not be 
sent to the right-about merely in order to re-enter in triumph. 
Otherwise he had better stop. 

What a fool that Rochefort is. Quotes Catholic Munich papers to 
prove that the Germans are only awaiting the French again invading 
Germany in order to join them, upset Bismarck and restore French 
domination in Germany! Cannot that idiot see that nothing would more 
fortify Bismarck than such a French attempt to ‘free’ Germany, and that 
we intend to settle our internal concerns ourselves! 

Ever yours, 
F, Engels 
called by Dinner Bell