Letter to Pyotr Lavrov, August 9, 1871

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 9 August 1871


First published in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXVI, Moscow, 1935
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 44


ENGELS TO PYOTR LAVROV

IN PARIS

London, 9 August 1871

My dear Sidorov,[1]

Here are the prices of the English books:

Lecky, History of the Spirit of Rationalism[2] —£-. 16/ Ditto, Ditto of European Morals[3] 1.8/- Tylor, Primitive Culture 1.4/- Lubbock, Origin of Civilisation[4] -. 16/- Maine, Ancient Law -. 12/- Ditto, Rural Communities[5] -. 9/-

These are bookseller's prices and there would be a discount of about 15 per cent on the above. However, if you authorise me to try and get them for you second-hand, I would probably have to pay no more than half the price and my little bookseller would gladly attend to the matter. I would have let you have this information sooner, but my bookseller has been away on his travels.

You will have received a letter from Williams[6] yesterday. We have not had more recent news from the indisposed traveller,[7] but we have found the means of conveying a letter by safe hand to IleTep6yprb[8] and hope soon to have the more detailed news for which we have insistently been asking.

As to the Tauchnitz edition of Buckle,[9] I know nothing about it but I should be very surprised if it does not exist—any German bookseller in Paris would, by the way, be able to tell you.

I am sending you the last two numbers of The Eastern Post.[10]

We have had various new arrivals here, amongst others BaAbaH-b, Teöcb, AoHré,[11] probably Williams has written to you about that.

Could you arrange a subscription for me to the Gazette des Tribuneaux beginning on 7 August or even 1 August? We need the most authentic text of the Versailles trials[12] for our historical studies and there is no other journal to my knowledge that would give as comprehensive a report. At the same time I don't know how to get hold of it over here, and there is no time to lose, for if we delay we might miss the most interesting numbers. You would greatly oblige us if you could see to this matter; we shall attend to your outlays afterwards.

Another thing. In order to make a study of military events during the two sieges of Paris,[13] I need a plan of Paris and its environs, the best that is to be had, giving if possible also the street names in Neuilly and the other minor localities where fighting took place. I have tried in vain to obtain one here. Perhaps you could give me the title of a detailed map and the publisher's name after which I should have no difficulty in procuring it.

So you see, my dear friend, that you cannot live in Paris with impunity and that I shall probably have more commissions for you than you will have for me. Meanwhile let me know what to do about the English books and rest assured of my cordial respects.

F. Engels

  1. ↑ Lavrov's pseudonym used by Engels in their correspondence.
  2. ↑ W. E. H. Lecky, History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe.
  3. ↑ Idem, History of European Morals from Augustus to Charlemagne.
  4. ↑ J. Lubbock, The Origin of Civilisation and the Primitive Condition of Man.
  5. ↑ H. S. Maine, Village communities in the East and West.
  6. ↑ Engels is referring to Marx's letter, signed A. Williams, to Danielson of 22 July 1871 (see this volume, pp. 174-75).
  7. ↑ Engels has in mind the enquiry concerning Lopatin's fate which Marx made in his letter to Danielson dated 22 July 1871. In his reply to Marx on 31 July (12 August) Danielson wrote: 'The news about "our mutual friend" is correct. His position is extremely dangerous and may become chronic' (see Note 220).
  8. ↑ (Russ.) St Petersburg.
  9. ↑ H. T. Buckle, History of Civilization in England.
  10. ↑ The reference is to a commission set up by the London Conference to consider the Swiss conflict (see Note 9). It included Marx, Vaillant, Verrycken, MacDonnel and Eccarius; Engels also took part in the commission's work. The meeting mentioned by Marx was held on 18 September 1871. Marx reported on the commission's findings at the sitting of 21 September 1871, which unanimously adopted the resolution tabled by him (see present edition, Vol. 22, pp. 419-22). The question of Robin's expulsion from the General Council for his attempt to disrupt the work of the commission was considered at several Council meetings. On 17 October 1871 Robin was expelled.
  11. ↑ Vaillant, Theisz, Longuet (the names are written in Cyrillic in the original)
  12. ↑ This refers to the trial of 15 members of the Paris Commune and 2 members of the Central Committee of the National Guard which began on 7 August 1871 in the Third Court Martial. Following the suppression of the Paris Commune there were altogether 26 courts martial in France. Judicial proceedings continued until 1877. The number of people shot, sentenced to exile with hard labour or confined to prison amounted to 70,000.
  13. ↑ Paris was besieged by the Prussians in September 1870-January 1871 and by the Versailles Government troops in April-May 1871.