ENGELS TO MARX*” 

Manchester, 7 Southgate 
[between 24 and 26 September 1859] 

Dear Moor, 

Enclosed fiver B/B 95281 Manchester, 1 January 1859. 

Shall deal with the other matters very shortly. 

For the present just one more point to which an answer is 
required by return if possible. 

1. How much money is needed to return to those subscribers to 
the Volk who have paid direct, the few pence due to them in 
respect of undelivered copies? 

2. What arrangement was made about this with Thimm and 
others? Have the booksellers deducted what was not delivered, or 
How? Or not paid at all yet? 

I must have clarification of these matters, if possible at once, and 
I shall, if possible, raise the money—it can’t amount to much—to 
settle the sorry business of the direct subscribers. Up here the 
bourgeois are complaining like mad that they’ve been cheated, and 
Lupus and I have to swallow it all. So let me have an answer at 
once. The day before yesterday Lupus was involved in a row on 
this account and I shall have to see the ‘third party’ as soon as 
possible. 

‘Infantry’ is in hand and if at all possible I shall finish it before 
the week is out. 

As to my own affair up here, surely you don’t imagine that I, 
for my part, didn’t also have sense enough to hand the thing over 
to a Lawyer and listen to his opinion. It’s not a case of some 
miserable fine imposed by a magistrate but of an action AT Nisi PRIUS 
For paacEs, in which the costs alone could be as high as £200. You 
surely don’t imagine that I shall let myself be swindled like this 
without lifting a finger; as to running away, I need hardly say 
that, my circumstances being what they are, there can be no 
question of it, even for a fortnight; and being as well known in 
Manchester as I am, no one here would imagine that I would run 
away from the firm, etc., in order to escape a lawsuit of this sort. 

The real joke is that the use of pretty well any instrument gives 
a LAWYER a HANDLE With which to sway a British jury, namely moral 
indignation at BLoopy ForEicnerss who don’t use their fists, etc. In 
which case the verdict goes against the roreicner as sure as 2X2=4, 
and on top of that he has to fork out the costs. Anyway you can 
count on it that I shall fork out no more than is absolutely 
necessary. As yet the affair hasn’t progressed an inch but I hope it 
will soon be settled so that I may at least get a clear idea of what 
can be done to help you through the crisis. 

Many regards to your wife and the girls. 

Your 
F. E.