Berne, 7[-8] January 1849 

Dear Marx, 

Having recovered, after several weeks of sinful living, from my 
exertions and adventures,” I feel, firstly, a need to get down to 
work again (striking proof of this being the enclosed Magyar-Slav 
article *), and, secondly, a need for money. The latter is the more 
urgent and if by the time this arrives, you haven't yet sent 
me anything, do so forthwith, for I’ve been sans le sou” these 
past few days, and it’s impossible to touch anyone in this rotten 
town. 

If only something worth writing about happened in this rotten 
country. But it’s all local rubbish of the rotteniest kind. However 
[ll shortly be sending a few general articles* about it. If I have to 
stay abroad much longer I shall go to Lugano, particularly if 
something blows up in Italy, as seems likely. 

But I keep thinking that I shall soon be able to return. This 
lazing about in foreign parts, where you can’t really do anything 
and are completely outside the movement, is truly unbearable. I 
am rapidly coming to the conclusion that detention for question- 
ing in Cologne is better than life in free Switzerland. So do write 
and tell me if there isn’t some chance sof my being treated as 
favourably as Bürgers, Becker,’ etc., etc. 

a F. Engels, ‘The Magyar Struggle’. - > penniless - ¢ F. Engels, ‘Herr Miller.— 
Radetzky’s Chicanery towards Tessin—-The Federal Council.—Lohbauer’, “The 
Swiss Press’, ‘Protectionist Agitation.—Recruiting into the Neapolitan Army’, 
‘Miller—The Freiburg Government.—Ochsenbein? - 4 Hermann Becker 

Raveaux is right: even in grace and favour Prussia**’ one is 

freer than in free Switzerland. Every little nonentity here is at one 
and the same time a police spy and an assommeur.’ I saw an 
example of this on New Year’s Eve. 

Who the devil was responsible for inserting recently that boring 
religio-moral article from Heidelberg” on the March Associa- 
tion? To my pleasure I have also noticed that Henricus 
occasionally exhales an article—witness the sighs extending over 2 
issues on the subject of the Ladenberg circular. . 

Our newspaper is now much quoted in Switzerland, the Berner 
Zeitung borrows a lot as does the National-Zeitung,? and this then 
goes the rounds of all the other papers. Also much quoted, more 
so than the Kdélnische, according to the National, etc., etc., in Swiss 
papers in the French language. 

You'll have included the advertisement.© Herewith a copy of. 
ours in the Berner Zeitung. Greetings to the whole company. 

Your 
E. 

Missed the post yesterday. Today, then, I'll merely add that 
since 1 January the Neue Rheinische Zeitung has no longer been 
arriving here. Do ascertain whether it’s being regularly dispatched. 
I’ve looked into the question of a subscription, but it’s no good. I’d 
have to subscribe for a '/y year; I shan’t be staying as long as that 
and anyway I haven’t any money. As I said, it’s important it 
should arrive here, not simply on my own account, but mainly 
because the Berner Zeitung, which is well disposed towards us and 
edited by a communist,’ is doing everything to make it en vogue 
here.