Eight letters to Lachâtre: “I will now be in a condition to complete the French edition once and for all”

Marx, Karl, philosopher and economist (1818-1883). 8 autograph letters signed.

€ 2,340,000.00

A substantive collection of unpublished letters from March 1872 to November 1874 to the publisher Maurice Lachâtre and his collaborators, all concerning the manuscripts for the ongoing publication of "Le Capital" and related matters. Throughout the revision proccess, Marx suffered from poor health and was finally forced to seek medical help in Karlsbad, from where he returned with fresh vigour, ready to finish his task. Marx thought highly of the result, stating in the postscript: “Whatever the literary defects of this French edition may be, it possesses a scientific value independent of the original and should be consulted even by readers familiar with German".

A fascinating ensemble that traces the immense labour on all sides that went into translating and publishing the French version of Marx’s great work, a task that preoccupied him throughout the two-and-a-half years of this correspondence.

I. Concerning the dedication "To citizen Karl Marx" heading "Le Capital": "Dans le dernier paragraphe rectifié il y a ces mots 'ne se laisseront pas arrêter dans leur lecture par l’exposition de vos méthodes analytiques'. Il y a ici un malentendu [...]" ("The last revised paragraph reads 'they will not let themselves be stopped from reading by the explication of your analytical methods'. This is a misunderstanding. I do not explain my method but I apply it from the beginning [...] My photograph will be taken tomorrow [...]", 20 March 1872).

II. About Joseph Roy, the French translator of "Das Kapital", the publication of the second German edition of "Das Kapital" and the Russian translation of the first edition, a possible reissue of Marx's "The Poverty of Philosophy", and the poor health of his grandson Étienne Lafargue: "Vous vous trompez! Monsieur Roy est français. Il a été (mais quand il était déjà un homme fait) pendant quelques années en Allemagne [...]" ("You are mistaken! Mr Roy is French. He spent (but when he was already a grown man) some years in Germany. He translates simple passages too literally but shows his strengths when it comes to more difficult things. Nevertheless, your corrections will always serve me as useful material for the final correction [...]", 1 May 1872).

III. Concerning a manuscript that got lost on the way to the printer Louis Justin Lahure: "Vous savez que j'avais envoyé du manuscrit à M. Lahure le 8 Octobre. Le 19 Oct. je reçus une lettre de M. Lahure m'annoncant que le manuscrit n’était point arrivé à son adresse. Alors a commencé une correspondance entre moi et l’administration supérieure de la poste anglaise [...]" ("You know that I sent the manuscript to M. Lahure on October 8. On October 19, I received a letter from M. Lahure announcing that the manuscript had not arrived at his address. Thus began a correspondence between the higher administration of the English mail and me [...]", 1 Nov. 1872).

IV: Probably to Paulin Franques, a Paris employee of Lachâtre: "Je n’ai plus de copie. Le 16 février j’écrivis à M. Vernouillet qu’elle me faisait défaut depuis des semaines. Alors il devait écrire directement à M. Roy et après un nouveau laps de temps je reçus enfin de la copie mais pas assez. De cette manière des interruptions continuelles sont occasionnées [...]" ("I have no more copy. On February 16th, I wrote to M. Vernouillet that I have had none for weeks. So he had to write to M. Roy, and after another period of time I finally received more copy, but not enough. This way of doing things occasions constant interruptions [...]", 17 March 1873).

V: About payments for the translator and the process of revising his work: "J'ai écrit à M. Vernouillet pour l'autorizer à payer 300 f. à M. Roy [...] D'après une lettre de M. Roy il n'a pas encore reçu un seul fascicle imprime! Je trouve cela très étrange! Comment voulez vous qu'il ait activé son travail en ne voyant rien apparaître? Encore, ce n'était que par l'étude des fascicles imprimés qu'il avait été amené à changer sa méthode de traduction [...]" ("I have written to M. Vernouillet authorizing him to pay M. Roy 300 f. [...] According to a letter from M. Roy he has not yet received a single printed fascicle! I find this very strange! How do you expect him to keep up his work without seeing anything that is released? After all, it was only by studying the printed fascicles that he was made to change his method of translation [...]", 29 March 1873).

VI: Sending a biographical sketch of himself: "Ci-inclus la biographie que vous avez demandée. Longuet l'a faite, mais il ne font pas le nommer. J'ai ajouté un de mes photographes dont la reproduction dans le 'Capital' est tres mauvaise. L'état de ma santé ne me permet pas encore de travailler que quelques heures de la journée. De là manque de manuscrit pour M. Lahure. Néanmoins, il reçoit aujourd'hui des épreuves qui comprennent déjà une partie de la trente deuxième feuille [...]" ("Enclosed is the biography you asked for. It was written by Longuet but he does not need to be mentioned. I have added one of my photos, the reproduction of which in 'Capital' is very poor. My state of health does not allow me to work more than a few hours a day. Hence the lack of a manuscript for M. Lahure. Still, he receives proofs that already include part of leaf 32 today [...]", 4 August 1873).

VII: Complaining of slow progress: "J’étais très malade pendant les dernières semaines et je suis encore souffrant. Cependant M. Lahure a reçu les dernières épreuves le 8 septembre. Il a tout et plus qu’il ne lui faut pour publier les 5 et 6 livraisons. Pourquoi ne procède-t-il donc pas? Je trouve qu’il agit très impolitiquement, et vous m’obligerez en m’informant sur les raisons de ce retard [...]" ("I have been very ill during the last weeks and am still suffering. Meanwhile M. Lahure has received the last proofs on September 8th. He has everything and more of what he does not need to publish instalments 5 and 6. So why is he not proceeding? I think his actions are highly impolitic, and I am obliged to you for informing me about the reasons for the delay [...]", 19 Sept. 1873).

VIII: Writing from Karlsbad, where he has been taking the waters for five weeks, explaining that he "will be leaving Germany in a few days to return to London. I believe that my health is restored and that I will now be in a condition to complete the French edition once and for all [...]" ("je serai maintenant en état d’en finir une bonne fois avec l’édition française", 18 Sept. 1874).

All letters well preserved with traces of old folds, a few wrinkles and creases, and the odd paper flaw to the margin. A fascinating ensemble that traces the immense labour on all sides that went into translating and publishing the French version of Marx's great work, a task that preoccupied him throughout the two-and-a-half years of this correspondence.