[London,] 25 July [1858] 

Dear Engels, 

From the enclosed letter of Freiligrath you will see that further 
difficulties have arisen. But the ‘new’ terms seem to me au fond’ 
better than the old, for though payment is nominally required in 3 
months it need, tN Fact, only be made in 6 and the cost is 10% less. 

Kindly reply at once one way or THE OTHER. The matter is pressing. If 
it can be arranged in this way I shall, at any risk, immediately send 
my wife to a nearby seaside resort for a couple of weeks and, in 
the meantime, see what I can fix up with my mater—after the 
more unruly creditors have been placated, oF course. 

Salut. 

Your 
K. M. 
Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXII, 7 : ? . 
Moscow, 1929 Published in English for the first 

time 

a in the main 

179 

MARX TO ENGELS*” 

London, 8 August 1858 
9 Grafton Terrace, Maitland Park, 
Haverstock Hill 

Dear Engels, 

If I haven’t written before, this was because it wasn’t till 
yesterday that the matter was decided for certain and, indeed, in 
the affirmative. Every time I sat down to write to you, another 
letter arrived from the City to say there was nothing doing and 
that I should try and carry out the transaction with somebody ELSE. 
However, I wanted to tell you something definite oNnE wAy-oR THE 
other. After he had negotiated with 6 different usurers, and every 
time the fellows went back on their promise when it came to the 
point, Freiligrath eventually discounted the bill with his own tailor, 
after he had agreed to act as collateral. He had, ab initio,* made it 
' payable at his own bank. The old chap went to a great deal of 
trouble over the matter, even to the extent of taking certain steps 
not altogether in keeping with his ‘professional’ status. So if you 
should happen to write to him, give him a little pat on the back, an 
action to which he is not wholly impervious. The bill has been 
deposited with Freiligrath himself. The tailor declares that he is 
prepared to renew it, whatever the circumstances. But he would 
prefer to receive £20 in November so that he would only have to 
make out a new bill for the remaining £20 payable in January. 
(After receiving your letter,*”” I immediately informed Freiligrath 
that the thing could not be proceeded with unless there was a 
certainty of renewal.) 

To my alarm I saw. from your letter that you were ill again, and 
in the circumstances it was all the more embarrassing to me to 
have annoyed you. Please write by return saying how you are, or else 
get Dr Gumpert to write. 

After receiving the money, I promptly paid off as much as 
possible and yesterday sent my wife to Ramsgate, since there was 
not another day to be lost. She really is extraordinarily unwell. If 
Ramsgate isn’t too expensive, and she is thus able to have several 
weeks of sea bathing, I believe all will soon be right again. 

4 from the start 

Meanwuite I shall see if there’s anything to be done with my 
mother. How I should answer the old girl in regard to my 
relations with Prussia is a very ticklish point. It’s just possible that 
she might fork out if she thought my inheritance was under threat 
from the authorities. But again it’s just possible—since she seems to 
me to be making her will—that she might in that case put 
everything in the care of the Dutchman,’ which wouldn’t suit me at 
all. Que faire dans cette situation? She writes saying her days are 
numbered, but I believe that’s just a manner of speaking. She 
probably wanted me to invite her to London, as indeed I would 
certainly have done had my time not been precious to me just now. 
For the past 2 months I have hardly been able to work, and the 
Duncker business is becoming urgent.‘ 

I have written a lot for the Tribune of late so as to replenish my 
account a bit, but I’m getting damnably short of material. India 
isn’t my department. Cherbourg *”? would have provided me with 
ample opportunity for political epigrams, except that I’m too 
ignorant of military matters to give the thing the proper depth. 
To me—though it’s an altogether subjective opinion, not to say a 
prejudice—Cherbourg would seem to be no more than a popce, 
like all Boustrapa’s*° grand doings, a mere sleight oF HAND. At any 
rate, the Moniteur, no less, contained certain ominous hints to the 
effect that the military authorities are by no means happy about 
the choice of the spot and have raised a host of circumstantial 
objections to the lay-out of the works. It is, furthermore, FAR FROM 
BEING FINISHED and, in its present state, represents rather what’s to be 
than what is. The only thing that is completely finished is the big 
equestrian statue of Napoleon. In Central India, or so it seems to 
me, the fall of Gwalior settles the matter. The Indian papers are 
all very hostile to Campbell and critical of his ‘tactics’. 

Enclosed a letter from Lassalle.‘ Ephraim Artful is a curious 
fellow. He demands of me an IMMENSE DEAL OF DISCRETION and puts on a 
great show of secrecy, yet the whole scrawl* appears substantially 
in the K6lner Zeitung! There’s a vein of absurd grandiloquence 
running through the man’s letters. “Then I addressed, etc., a 
trenchantly cutting memoir, etc.’ ‘I set Béckh and Humboldt in 
motion.” Humboldt wrote ‘a fulminating letter’. ‘I myself made a 
complaint direct to the Prince’ couched in the bluntest German, 
‘Truly foudroyant arraignment of the minister”.’ ‘Urgent plea.’ ‘In 

a Lion Philips - & What’s to be done in this situation? -© Marx means the 
preparation for the press of A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy. - 
d Lassalle’s letter to Marx of 23 July 1858 -¢ See this volume, pp. 321-23. - 
' William, Prince of Prussia - § crushing - > Ferdinand von Westphalen 

absolute confidence.’ ‘My biggest pistol.’ ‘Hopeless.’ ‘Utmost secrecy 
and discretion.’ ‘If that’s not sauce for the gander, etc.’ 

Our friend Burgers will soon be out of prison again now. His 
main idea, it seems, is to play father to Daniels’ children and to 
that end, first take over the post of bedfellow to Mrs Daniels. The 
latter has, however, written to Lina* saying that Burgers isn’t to be 
compared with her husband. 

Apropos, Lupus will be interested to hear that little Jenny has 
received THE FIRST GENERAL PRIZE IN THE FIRST CLASS (Which also includes the 
English prize), and little Laura the second. They are the youngest 
in the class. Jenny also got the prize for French. 

Salut. I hope to hear some good news about your STATE OF HEALTH, 

Your 
K. M.. 

The Telegraph (enclosed) is also to be kept.