S.
3O March 191O 4O7 Brunswick Avenue Toronto
Dear Professor Freud,
«IP4,0»First let me thank you for kindly sending me the «MDUL»Drei Abhandlungen«MDNM». It was all the more welcome in that I lent my copy to a friend in England and never got it back, and have not been able to get another copy since it has been out of print. In fact I recently had to get Brill to lend me his so as to look up some points. The added footnotes were very interesting, especially the one on homosexuality; «FN1.××The added footnote in Freud (1905d, pp. 144‑145) concerns the psychical mechanisms of the development of homosexuality and is appended to the section which deals with the issue of bisexuality, a primary personal concern for Jones throughout this period.
» I suppose you had good reasons for not re‑writing the book, but one naturally regrets you didn't think fit to add more.
Your letter and kind remarks were exceedingly welcome; many, many thanks. Your encouragement is especially valuable to me for many reasons; first the obvious one of pupil and master, then the fact that I am more responsive than initiative by nature and only work under an external personal stimulus, then further that in my work I am very isolated, for almost all my friends and relatives have used their strongest influence to dissuade me from undertaking "such dangerous work" (sexual). It was a big break with them all for me to continue it alone, for at that time I had no personal help from you and the school, having various internal troubles, and only my intense conviction that your work was profoundly true and important carried me through. Fortunately things are now in smoother water, chiefly owing to you personally, so you see I am both grateful to and dependent on you.
I hope you are pleased with the result of the Congress. I hope to hear an account of it from Jung. I did not hear of his scurrying visit till it was over.«FN1.××Jung's trip to America, see previous letter.
» He is getting quite a "world‑trotter". (Now, why have I written "world" instead of the ordinary phrase "globe-trotter"?«FN1.××Jones likely had the name of his best friend, Wilfred Trotter, on the tip of his tongue. Trotter was one of the friends who objected to Jones taking on the 'dangerous work' of psychoanalysis mentioned in the previous paragraph.
» The analysis doesn't come to me straight off: I must try again later).
It is delightful to hear that your health is again all right, and I sincerely hope the family trouble will soon be past.
It is exciting news that you are writing on Da Vinci. What a superb subject! And now we shall know what were the wonderful dreams he saw behind La Vierge aux Rochers and La Gioconda, and what was the secret of his mirror‑writing (you know it has recently been proved he was not left‑handed?). Do you remember Walter Pater's essay on Da Vinci, published in his Renascance? You must quote his page of description of the Monna Lisa, for it is the most significant and beautiful passage of its kind in English literature. If you haven't it by now, I enclose a copy of it.«FN1.××Freud does cite Pater in his discussion on Mona Lisa. See Freud (1910c, pp. 110, 111, 115), as well as his reply to Jones in the next letter.
»
I should like sometime to hear further your opinion of Hart's article,«FN1.××Hart (1909‑10).
» and whether you agree with all of it. I suggested to him to write it last August. He was one of my best pupils in England, although I had at first some difficulty in getting him to take up your work. Ultimately he said "Freudism is strictly speaking a religion; you can't «MDUL»prove«MDNM» it, but you have to accept it because "it works"", which was quite clever. He has so far no practical experience of |×A, but I have every hope he will do much valuable work on the philosophical principles of the theory. You can see he is a devoted disciple of Karl Pearson. Do you know Pearson's «MDUL»Grammar of Science«MDNM»?«FN1.××Pearson (1900).
» It would greatly please you, though there is nowadays nothing new in it. It is the grandest exposition of the fundamental principles of science that I know of, and inspired me as a student with clear and high scientific ideals, though not so enthusiastically as did W. K. Clifford's «MDUL»Essays«MDNM».«FN1.××W. K. Clifford, «MDUL»Lectures and Essays«MDNM», eds., Leslie Stephen and Frederick Pollock, intro. F. Pollock, 2nd ed. (London and New York: MacMillan, 1886).
»
I am glad you like the Hamlet article. I had a letter from Paul Tausig,«FN1.××Paul Tausig translated Jones (1910a).» Wien, about translation, which I naturally should like, but I wrote to say that I first had to get permission from Stanley Hall. No doubt he will give it. The Nightmare article is to be followed by a casuistic one on cases, and then one on night terrors in children (à la Stekel). This fall I want to write a long article, which I shall offer to you for the «MDUL»Schriften«MDNM», entitled "Die Mahre in der Mythologie u. in der Geschichte".«FN1.××See Jones (1931b, pp. 241‑340).
» It will contain much on fear and dreams in relation to the origin of religious belief; I have already most of the material. What do you think of the idea? In the future I feel I shall do much work on Religion, for though dangerous it is an important subject in Anglo Saxon countries. That, however, must be later; I have much to learn first. I think I told you that Meyer asked me to write a review of your psychology for the «MDUL»Psychological Bulletin«MDNM». «FN1.××Jones (1910h).
» I did so in February, and have just got the proofs. The last sixth (on wit and everyday life) is cut out; perhaps it is meant to appear in a subsequent number. More than half of the sexual part is cut out without asking my permission, although it was worded as acceptably as I could. I at once wrote back saying (to Prof. Warren, the Editor) that I could not consent to publishing a mutilated article, and that if he wished to exclude the sexual part I must withdraw the whole article. I expect an answer in a day or two, but it was the only thing to do, don't you think so. If they want an expurgated edition of "Freud for the Young" they must get it from a non‑Freudian, which is an easy matter.«FN1.××For Jones's controversy with Warren of Johns Hopkins, see Leys (1981).
» At the Psychopathological Society, which meets for the first time at Washington on May 2, I am reading a paper on "suggestion", à la Ferenczi and of course the «MDUL»Drei Abhandlungen«MDNM».«FN1.××Jones (1910‑11a) à la Ferenczi (1909).
»
With kindest Regards Yours ever Ernest Jones.
