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Title: Engels to Ernst Dronke, London, 29 November 1878
Description: Draft: Dronke refuses to have the policy assigned; Engels repeats that it belongs to Mrs Dronke and that he will pay no premium to keep it in force.
Author: Friedrich Engels
Date: 1878-11-29
URL: https://marxismo.school/archivo/marx-engels/cartas/originales/1878-11-29%20Engels%20to%20Ernst%20Dronke
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*Letter (draft) from Friedrich Engels to Ernst Dronke in Liverpool, London, 29 November 1878. Manuscript preserved at the IISG (Karl Marx / Friedrich Engels Papers, inv. K 192 (lot K 397-404)), transcribed from the digital facsimile by the Escuela de marxismo, 2026 (double reading and collation with the image). Diplomatic transcription: spelling, capitals, abbreviations and punctuation as in the manuscript; underlining rendered as italics; deletions as ~~text~~ where legible, otherwise ~~[ilegible]~~; interlinear and marginal additions inserted where marked, with a note; [?] after an uncertain reading. [Traducción al español](https://marxismo.school/archivo/marx-engels/cartas/1878-11-29%20Engels%20a%20Ernst%20Dronke)*

L.[?] 29 Nov 78.

My dear Dronke

I hear from Mess. W. & M. that you informed them of your intention not to have the assignment of the Policy executed. ~~I can only say that~~ Moreover I[^1] have not had a word of reply or explanation from yourself. Under these circumstances I can only again repeat, that, ~~in~~ as[^2] the Policy belongs[?][^3] to Mrs Dr. & ~~that as~~ that[^4] you had no right whatever to dispose of it, ~~it is no security for me and~~ It is therefore no security ~~whatever~~ for me unless ~~she~~ assigned ~~it to me~~ by her[^5] in the form prescribed by law. Unless this is done, I shall not pay any premium to keep it ~~going~~ in existence, ~~and I have no means to compel you and of course~~ I[?] (know how to qualify the transaction, & of course shall)[^6]

Yours truly.

[On the back:] Nov 29/78 / To E. Dronke

[^1]: «Moreover I» written above the line or in the margin.

[^2]: «as» written above the line or in the margin.

[^3]: After «belongs», a heavy cross-shaped stroke: a call sign without visible counterpart, or a blotted letter.

[^4]: «that» written above the line or in the margin.

[^5]: «by her» written above the line or in the margin.

[^6]: Written between the lines «me unless … prescribed» and «by law …», in brackets and underlined, without a visible call sign; it seems to continue the «I» at the end of the paragraph. The sentence is left unfinished in the draft.