[London,] 3 March 1877 

Dear Fred, 

I am sending you the things from Leipzig I found at your 
house,” together with the Plebe. As to the important declaration by 
the federation of Italia alta> in which they state that they have 
always abided by the ‘original Rules’ of the International,” and 
officially disassociate themselves from any actual federative link 
with the Italian Bakuninist groups,”° you must see that the 
Vorwdrts gets this as soon as possible, along with the other very 
interesting, and to me highly welcome, facts contained in the first 
letter you sent me.” Otherwise Liebknecht will contrive to make 
nonsense of this affair too. 

I’ve been very unwell of late, with a chronic cold, catarrh and 
cough. 

Au ricut about Lina. 

Lavrov, who is going through a damned bad period, has praised 
your anti-Dihring articles, though one (i.e., he) ‘is unaccustomed 
to such gentleness in Engels’ polemics’. 

You will be getting a longer missive** from me some time next 
Monday’.© Do not regard this as a Dühringian manoeuvre of 
always making promises one never sticks to—namely doing 
something. 

Kindest regards to Lizzy. 

Your 
K. Marx 

Devil take Hirsch and his Castelnau. The latter has now asked 
me on behalf of them both to figure as a contributor to a working 
men’s paper which they already have in hand. As if I had the time 
for that—and Hirsch must surely know that I haven’t any! The 
mere fact of my name appearing, however, would make me 
needlessly ‘responsible’. Because Mr Castelnau himself now admits 

a See previous letter. - Northern Italy -¢ See this volume, pp. 198-200. - 
4 Caroline Schéler - © 5 March 

that, so long as Quést is in charge, his abrége* will belong to the 
Land of Nod, it seems he is going to thrash me in some other way. 
I have yet to see either him or Hirsch lift so much as a finger on 
behalf of Capital, unlike Laveleye or Block.”