London, 26 November 1887 
122 Regent’s Park Road, N. W. 

Dear Dr Schmidt, 

I was delighted to hear from you again and to learn that you had left 
behind the fogs of London and the exuberant air of Paris and were 
back in the atmosphere of ‘pure reason’. I had learned from the press 
about the strange adventures connected with the arrival of your crate 
of books! and imagined I was back again in those long-forgotten days 
when I myself was in Berlin, an occasional contributor to the 
Hartungsche Zeitung,» and when everything was banned save a 
‘narrow slave mentality’.!”! But no doubt there are even better things 
in store! 

As regards Heine’s letter, I cannot throw any definite light on it.!” 
Up till 1848 Lassalle cut no sort of political figure at all; he became 
known only as a result of the Hatzfeldt trial.!° And in it both parties 
had recourse to all possible means, no matter what, provided they gave 
promise of success, and brought into play, whenever and however they 
thought fit, anyone who might conceivably be of use. On the other 
hand, the ban placed by the Federal Diet on Heine’s books, even future 

* Konigsberger Hartungsche Zeitung 

ones, forced him to use all available methods of advertisement in order 
to ensure the sales that he would otherwise have automatically enjoyed. 
In the circumstances, Lassalle could become most useful to Heine; on 
the other hand, Heine was impressed by his energy, ruthlessness and 
knowledge of the world—all things rare in the majority of young 
Germans then as they are today. 

So it is more than probable that Lassalle sought to make use of Heine 
for the benefit of the Countess, and the letter in question almost 
certainly relates to some aspect of the case—very probably the casket. 
Whether /a Meyendorf was in Paris at the beginning of 1846, I cannot 
say for certain but, from what I remember of the proceedings, I think she 
was. Either the proceedings in the casket case of 1846, or those in 
Lassalle’s of 1848 should provide a clue (best source Kélnische Zeitung). 
If she was in Paris, it was doubtless for the purpose of making an attempt 
on the casket. Heine and I never discussed Lassalle, whom neither Marx 
nor I knew at that time. 

Your fellow-townsman Weiss came to see me here; has gone to Berne 
to complete his studies.? 

A fortnight ago we had a rumpus of our own over here during which 
Mrs Aveling became involved in a scuffle with the police without, 
however, coming to any serious harm.!*° The fact is that our Tory 
government’s stupidity is such as almost to rival Puttkamer’s. If old 
Disraeli were to rise up out of his grave, he would lambast these school- 
boys good and proper. 

May I thank you in advance for the article you promised to send 
me,1% 

Recently I was called upon by Herkner, a quite intelligent man when 
one comes to converse with him, and a good deal more radical than his 
book. He seemed very anxious to impress upon me that in reality even 
Brentano is, at heart, less tame than he makes himself out to be in his 
books. Indeed, if the gentlemen at German universities only had the 
courage of their convictions, we should at any rate be as far on as we 
were in 1837 and 1840. But whether, in that case, they would find an 
audience is questionable to say the least. 

Otherwise, everything goes jogging on in the same old way over here, 
so there’s nothing new to report. 

* See this volume, p.105 — > H. Herkner, Die oberelsdssische Banmwollindustrie 
und thre Arbeiter, Strasbourg, 1887 

Do write again some time and, if I can be of any service to you over 
here, I shall be glad to oblige. 
Cordial regards, 

Your 

F. Engels