London, 29 April 1858 

Dear Frederick, 

My long silence can be explained in one word—inability to 
write. This existed (AND TO SOME DEGREE EXISTS STILL) not only IN THE 
LITERARY, but IN THE LITERAL SENSE OF THE word. The few obligatory 
articles for the Tribune‘ were dictated to my wife, but even that 
was only possible by appiyinc stronc stimutt. Never before have I had 
such a violent attaque of liver trouble and ror some Time there was a 

a disjointed - 6 C. B. Cavour’s speech of 16 April 1858 in the Chamber of 
Representatives of the Kingdom of Piedmont, The Times, No. 22973, 21 April 1858; 
A. F. La Marmora’s speech of 17 April 1858 in the Chamber of Representatives of the 
Kingdom of Piedmont, The Times, No. 22974, 22 April 1858. - © K. Marx, “The 
French Trials in London’, ‘The Financial Position of France’, ‘Mr Disraeli’s Budget’, 
‘The English Alliance’. 

fear that it might be sclerosis of the liver. The doctor wanted me 
to travel but d’abord* that was incompatible with the srare or FINANCE, 
and secondly I hoped from day to day to be able to start work 
again. The persistent urge to get down to work coupled with 
inability to do so helped aggravate my condition. However there’s 
been an improvement during the past week. But [’m not yet 
capable of working. Whenever I sit down and write for a couple of 
hours I have to lie quite fallow for a couple of days. I hope 
to heaven that this state of affairs comes to an end next 
week. It couldn’t have happened at a more inconvenient time. 
Obviously I overdid my nocturnal labours last winter. Hinc illae 
lacrimae. 

Your letters and Guardians arrived safely. 

A book has appeared by Louis Blanc on the revolution of 1848.‘ 
Evinces the most candid admiration for the ‘petit’? which, or so he 
says, is what the workers call him. If read carefully, however, it 
makes the fellow look an ass for it shows that on every crucial 
occasion the workers acted without his knowledge or consent and 
generally returned him sentiment for ‘sentiment’, taking the view 
that they had thereby paid the oracle of Luxembourg his rut 
price.” 

The movement for the emancipation of the serfs in Russia 
strikes me as important in so far as it indicates the beginning of an 
internal development that might run counter to the country’s 
traditional foreign policy. Herzen, of course, has discovered afresh 
that ‘liberty’ has emigrated from Paris to Moscow. 

Friend Bangya, as it seems, has been caught out by Sefer Pasha’s 
son * engaging in unauthorised correspondence with Philipson, the 
Russian general. It is said that he Has BEEN SHOT together with a 
number of his Hungarian and Polish accomplices.’ 

Regards to Lupus. 

Your 
K. M.