London, 29 March 1894 
122 Regent’s Park Road, N. W. 
Dear Sir, 

I am in receipt of your esteemed note of the 19th inst. (postmarked Rome) 
and have also just received the first half volume of your book *** 

* The following phrase “we are the only party capable...” is crossed out by Engels. -> The text 
that follows is in Spanish. 

from Vienna. I am most grateful to you for having sent it to me. 

The extent to which both science and events have progressed since the 
appearance in 1845 of that early work of mine’—a work to which you accord 
such honourable mention but which in my view is much overrated—cannot 
be better demonstrated than by the plan you were able to draw up for the 
elaboration of your book. The very fact that it was possible to tackle such an 
inquiry, embracing as it does every detail, even those which seem least 
significant, that might have a bearing on the point at issue within the field of 
investigation, and this by a simple layman, is an enormous advance in itself. 
May you succeed in completing your work exactly in accordance with your 
plan, thereby presenting us with a picture such as we have not possessed 
hitherto of the general situation of a large and highly interesting working- 
class community. 

Tam Sir, 
Yours faithfully, 
F. Engels