| Au grand décapiteur de bouteilles de Champagne, à l’insondable avaleur d’ale et autres drogues frelatées,  1866-1868 war Lafargue Mitglied des Generalrats der IAA und Korrespondierender Sekretär für Spanien.
Schließen le secrétaire des Espagnes:

Salut et que le Dieu des bonnes buveries te protège.

You must have heard with all the world that Mr Lafargue, medical student bachelor is about to marry  Jenny Laura Marx; Die Hochzeit von Laura Marx und Paul Lafargue sollte am 2. April 1868 stattfinden.
Schließen Miss J. Laura Marx, spinster “et enfileuse de perles métaphysiques”. And that this marriage is to take place in April at the earliest date possible, nobody, I suppose having ever as yet desired Tantalus’s situation—April is such a nice month for catching cold in by moonlight or “de coups de soleil” in the day—

| To give to this act all its social value, it seems indispensable, I don’t know why, that two witnesses be present. Two beggars quite unknown to me would do, but they might smell badly and so trouble our digestion already rather disturbed by the ceremony. Now although you are far from having all the moral qualities requisite to the fulfilling of this respectable bourgeois function in a respectable way, there is no man whom I should like better than yourself to stand by me during so formidable a ceremony. I have two reasons for asking you, 1st) because you are the best friend of Marx and have a deep interest in all that concerns his family—2dly) because you suit me, | the few days I had the pleasure of enjoying your company have proved to me that you deserve the high idea I had formed of you from the conversation of Marx’s family.

Will you now swallow a large tumbler of ale to wash down the pill I have been trying to gild for you. Marx has told me that you are very busy just now, if therefore it disturbs you, don’t come, for your presence is not absolutely necessary and I should prefer to see you after my marriage, to be able to enjoy your company at my ease.

I don’t speak of other questions: I believe my request is an annoyance enough as it is without trying to bore you longer by phrases—But the political struggles of Disraeli, du “filandreux” Gladstone and of the | well fatted  John Bright.
Schließen J. Bright are farcical, but on the other side of the “transatlantique” ocean, they are a little more tragical.  Andrew Johnson.
Schließen Jhonson is in rather hot water, if he could manage to peel off his skin,  Johnson war gelernter Schneider.
Schließen he might go back again to his former trade, which suits him better; instead of playing fantastic tricks. Tailors are a great nuisance, they so easily run mad with pride: as already noticed by Shakespeare. (Jenny in her enthusiastic and blind love for Shakespeare assures, that he has  foreseen.
Schließen forseen  Andrew Johnson.
Schließen Jhonson and all his doings)— Fortunately.
Schließen Fortunatly soon the  tailoring.
Schließen talouring business will be done by machinery.

Does Mrs Burns take baths in the “baignoire” I brought you from Bordeaux that you might extinguish the fire residing in your bowels? The good taste of the home bread I ate in | Manchester is still on my palate. Will you give her my kind regards.—Remembeer me also to Moore. Is he well at present? Beer is a very bad thing for such ailments as his.

Que je ne vous retienne plus, allez lâcher la bière que vous avez bue.

Je vous serre cordialement la main.

PLafargue

18/3/68.