BRUSSELS 127contradiction and revolutionised in practice.'^16 The final, and the best-
known, thesis read: 'The philosophers have only interpreted the world in
various ways; the point is to change it.'^17
In the three months following Engels' arrival he and Marx 'set about
the task of elaborating the newly gained theory in the most different
directions'.^18 For Engels this took the form of a large-scale History of
English Society and for Marx his Critique of Economics and Politics. In July
1845 they both undertook a six-week trip to England. According to a
subsequent letter from Marx to his publisher, this journey was undertaken
exclusively for research on his book^19 Most of the time they spent in
Manchester reading economic works by writers such as Petty, Tooke,
Cooper, Thomson and Cobbett in the Old Chetham Library. Much later
Engels still recalled with pleasure 'the small alcove and the four-sided
desk where we sat 24 years ago. I like the place a lot: because of the
stained glass window it always seems fine and sunny there.'^20 On their
return Marx and Engels stayed a few days in London where they met the
Chartist leader George Julian Harney, editor of the most influential
working-class paper, The Northern Star. Engels also introduced Marx to
the leaders of the German workers' organisations in London - contacts
that were to become the centre of Marx's preoccupations the following
year - and together they attended a meeting of the leaders of various
national groups to discuss the founding of some form of international
democratic association. This took form as the Fraternal Democrats in
September 1845.^21
While Marx was away in England, Jenny went to stay with her mother
in Trier for two months. Their second daughter, Laura, was to be born
at the end of September and Jenny prolonged her stay as long as possible
in order to keep her lonely mother company. She wrote to Marx on his
return from England:The little house will have to do. Anyway, in winter a lot of room is
not necessary. When I have finished the big business on the upper
floor, I will move downstairs again. Then you can sleep in your present
study and set up tent in the big lounge. That's fine. Then the children's
noise is sealed off below. You are undisturbed above, I can join you in
peaceful moments and we can keep the room in some sort of order. In
any case, a good hot stove with accessories must be installed in the
room as soon as possible. That is Breuer's^22 affair, since nobody rents
a room that is impossible to heat... Everything else I will see to
later... ,^23Once back from England Marx's socio-economic studies were interrup-
ted by his decision to write a definitive critique of the Young Hegelians.