[London,} 31 August 1864 

Dear Frederick, 

I returned from Ramsgate* exactly three weeks ago today. The 
trip to Holland has fallen through, because a maid in my uncle’s? 
household suddenly contracted smallpox. 

Last week my wife had a severe attack of cholerine which did, 
for a spell, look like becoming dangerous. Yesterday she left for 
Brighton (solo). 

I have sundry letters from Liebknecht here which, however, I 
shall not send as I don’t know whether you are in Manchester. 
The enclosed scrawl by Collet will amuse you, and, should you 
not be there, it doesn’t really matter. What naiveté on C.’s part! 
Since (to use an Austrian construction) I had done a long article 
on the Russian claims for him, which he didn’t print, he expects me 
to take an interest in his ridiculous rubbish. 

The enclosed letter from Elsner is in reply to my wife’s asking 
him for biographical notes on Lupus.* 

I’ve been operative again for a couple of days. Before that I was 
stil] troubled with sickness and incapaze. If you haven't left yet, let 
us know at once. We hope to see you on your way through at any 
rate. The children send you their love. Jenny can hardly wait to 
show you her crrennouse. 

I haven’t yet quite made up my mind about the Schleswig- 
Holstein affair, and more facts will be needed before a clear 
picture can be gained of it. You were right when you predicted 
the rebirth of the Holy Alliance.“ Bonaparte would seem to have a 
strong ‘inclination at Least’ to make ‘a fourth in the alliance’.' Since 
the outbreak of the Polish revolution to date, the utter despicability 
of the fellow has Manifested itself in the clearest and most genuine 
light.°** 

4 See this volume, p. 549. - > Lion Philips - © Marx apparently means the item (C. D. 
Collet,] ‘Groundlessness of Any Claim of Russia to Holstein-Gottorp’ in The Free Press, 
Vol. XII, No. 5, 4 May 1864. - 4 See this volume, pp. 588-89.- © See this volume, 
pp. 505-06.- { Paraphrase of a passage from Schiller’s ballad Die Bürgschaft. 

Ive had an opportunity of looking at Grove’s Correlation of 
Physical Ferces. He is beyond doubt the most philosophical of the 
English (and indeed German!) natural scientists. Our friend 
Schleiden has an inborn: proclivity for fadaise,* although he, by 
mistake, discovered the cell. 

Herewith, Pieper’s card. It accidentally fell into Liebknecht’s 
hands and he has returned it to me. 

Salut. 

Your 
K. M. 

Be so good as to send me Ernest Jones’s Manchester address. 
Don't rorcet!