Letter to Filippo Turati, February 6, 1892

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 6 February 1892


First published in: Marx and Engels, Works, First Russian Edition, Vol. XXIX, Moscow 1946
Printed according to the original
Translated from the French
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 49


ENGELS TO FILIPPO TURATI

IN MILAN

London, 6 February 1892

122 Regent's Park Road, N.W.

Dear Sir,

Se io lo conosco,[1] the illustrious Bovio?[2] Ma dopo molti anni, dopo la vecchia Internationale,[3] when I encountered his articles at every turn in Italian socialist literature. At the time, I used to read them, and the more I read the less clear they became — ho capi nagott.[4] To use his own words, non ricordo tempo più confusionario.[5] To make things worse, in the end I did not know which of the two of us, he or I, was the confusionario. However, on the whole, he is a good fellow, a pedant, it is true, but a generous and amiable one (which is never the case with our German pedants) and, as you say, a Victor Hugo type, a grandiose character, a man of broad views, who reconciles you with his personality, even if you fight the party which he supports. I quite understand that he should be idolised by your youth. If I were young, I would be mad about him, I would worship him, but unfortunately I am 71, not 17.

This is my answer. Naturally it is slightly touched with irony — without which I would be unable to communicate with him — but, I hope, it is a civil answer. Would you be so kind as to translate it into Italian?

Sempre suo[6]

F. Engels

  1. ↑ Do I know him
  2. ↑ On 2 February 1892 Filippo Turati sent Engels an article by the Italian philosopher and political leader Giovanni Bovio published in La Tribuna. The article contained a critique of the first instalment of Engels' 'Socialism in Germany' (see present edition, Vol. 27, pp. 235-50) as printed by Turati in the socialist journal Critica Sociale, No. 2, 16 January 1892. Turati, editor of the journal, reproduced Engels' work in translation from its French version published in Almanack du Parti Ouvrier. Turati requested Engels to reply to Bovio's article. Engels wrote his counterblast in French (see 'Reply to the Honourable Giovanni Bovio', present edition, Vol. 27, pp. 270-72) and sent it with a covering letter to Turati. Turati's Italian translation of Engels' reply, endorsed by the latter in a letter to Turati of 13 February (see this volume, p. 356), was published in Critica Sociale, No. 4, 16 February 1892 under the title 'Federico Engels — Giovanni Bovio' and was reprinted by several Italian newspapers.
  3. ↑ I do, I have known him for many years, ever since the old International
  4. ↑ indeed, I couldn't make tail or head of them
  5. ↑ I cannot remember a time more muddleheaded.
  6. ↑ Ever yours