Letters of Frederick Engels
Source: MECW Volume 2, p. 543
Written: 15 June 1842
First published: in the Archiv für die Geschichte des Sozialismus und der Arbeiterbewegung, 11. jg., 1. Heft, Leipzig, 1925
Dear Doctor,
Enclosed please find an article ["Alexander Jung, Lectures on Modern German literature."] for the [Deutsche] Jahrbücher. I have put the Dante thing to one side for the time being. I would have sent it sooner if I had had anything like enough time.
I got your letter after it had gone to a number of wrong addresses. Why didn’t I send Schelling und die Offenbarung to the Jahrbücher? 1) Because what I had in mind was a book of between 5 and 6 folios and this was cut down to 3 1/2 folios only in the course of my negotiations with the publishers. 2) Because up to then the Jahrbücher had been a little reserved about Schelling. 3) Because people here advised against attacking Schelling in a journal and told me rather to put out a pamphlet against him. Schelling, der Philosoph in Christo is also from my pen.
Apart from all this, I am not a Doctor and cannot ever become one. I am only a merchant and a Royal Prussian artillerist, so kindly spare me that title.
I hope to send you another manuscript very soon and in the meantime I remain
Yours sincerely,
F. Engels (Oswald)
Berlin, June 15, 42
Dorotheenstr. 56