GE to Charles Bray, Weymouth, [7 September 1859]
Title
GE to Charles Bray, Weymouth, [7 September 1859]
Title
GE to Charles Bray, Weymouth, [7 September 1859]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Charles Bray
Date(s)
- 1859-09-07
Place
Weymouth
Letter Content
GE to Charles Bray, Weymouth, [7 September 1859]
MS: Yale. Envelope: Charles Bray Esq. | Ivy Cottage | Radford Road | Coventry. Postmarks: WEYMOUTH | SP 7 | 1859; COVENTRY | C | SP 8 | 59. Hitherto unpublished.
East Street | Weymouth | Wednesday.
Dear Friend
The letter about Liggins to which I referred was not from Coventry, but from Mr. Quirk, the Attleborough clergyman who has given us so much trouble by his injudicious forwardness. "Against stupidity the gods themselves are powerless" 283 -- if they take the form of valid evidence.
It will amuse you to know that you are confounded with a person so unlike you as Mr. Charles Dresser: 284 whether from some slip of the pen -- the extremely slippery pen -- of that muddle-headed magistrate Mr. Bracebridge, or merely from the lying tendency of rumour in general, it is hardly worth while to inquire.
According to Mr. Quirk, his prot'e9g'e9 is more culpable than he appeared to be on the showing of the Bracebridges. Mr. Q's words were, "Mr. L. claims to be the author of C.S. and therefore of A.B." Yet Mr. Bracebridge quoted Mr. Quirk as his chief authority, in writing to the Blackwoods.
These people have behaved so insolently to the Blackwoods, and Mr. Quirk especially has had so much pains taken to undeceive him -- all in vain, that I should have left his letter unanswered but for his introducing himself to me as a friend of Chrissey's. But if I had written myself saying, "I am sole author" etc. my letter would have been handed about and would finally have got into the papers. So Mr. Lewes wrote for me, merely saying, that if Mr. L. had deliberately and knowingly caused any one to believe that he in any way contributed a sentence to the two works in question, Mr. Lewes, being cognizant of the history of their authorship, declared him to be an impostor, and moreover that the word of honourable and responsible men ought long ago -- would to most minds certainly have sufficed -- to settle the question. But I dare say Mr. Quirk will go to his grave believing in Liggins. Requiescat in pace!
Thank Sara for her letter, 285 with all its pleasant gossip. Ask her to give my love to Mrs. John Cash, 286 and tell her the hours we spent together are among the most cherished of my Foleshill memories.
We are enjoying the fine days, and I am flourishing -- Mr. Lewes less so, but better. Both of us send heartiest regards to all, and I am
Always yours affectionately
Marian E. Lewes.
If it should ever happen to you to look at the number of Bentley's Quarterly Review 287 containing the review of Adam Bede, read it. There is much beautiful feeling in it. The article in the Edinburgh, by Forster, 288 though more laudatory, was less gratifying. Praise is so much less sweet than comprehension and sympathy. But no reviews are of any importance now. The 2d edition of Clerical Scenes is almost consumed.
MS: Yale. Envelope: Charles Bray Esq. | Ivy Cottage | Radford Road | Coventry. Postmarks: WEYMOUTH | SP 7 | 1859; COVENTRY | C | SP 8 | 59. Hitherto unpublished.
East Street | Weymouth | Wednesday.
Dear Friend
The letter about Liggins to which I referred was not from Coventry, but from Mr. Quirk, the Attleborough clergyman who has given us so much trouble by his injudicious forwardness. "Against stupidity the gods themselves are powerless" 283 -- if they take the form of valid evidence.
It will amuse you to know that you are confounded with a person so unlike you as Mr. Charles Dresser: 284 whether from some slip of the pen -- the extremely slippery pen -- of that muddle-headed magistrate Mr. Bracebridge, or merely from the lying tendency of rumour in general, it is hardly worth while to inquire.
According to Mr. Quirk, his prot'e9g'e9 is more culpable than he appeared to be on the showing of the Bracebridges. Mr. Q's words were, "Mr. L. claims to be the author of C.S. and therefore of A.B." Yet Mr. Bracebridge quoted Mr. Quirk as his chief authority, in writing to the Blackwoods.
These people have behaved so insolently to the Blackwoods, and Mr. Quirk especially has had so much pains taken to undeceive him -- all in vain, that I should have left his letter unanswered but for his introducing himself to me as a friend of Chrissey's. But if I had written myself saying, "I am sole author" etc. my letter would have been handed about and would finally have got into the papers. So Mr. Lewes wrote for me, merely saying, that if Mr. L. had deliberately and knowingly caused any one to believe that he in any way contributed a sentence to the two works in question, Mr. Lewes, being cognizant of the history of their authorship, declared him to be an impostor, and moreover that the word of honourable and responsible men ought long ago -- would to most minds certainly have sufficed -- to settle the question. But I dare say Mr. Quirk will go to his grave believing in Liggins. Requiescat in pace!
Thank Sara for her letter, 285 with all its pleasant gossip. Ask her to give my love to Mrs. John Cash, 286 and tell her the hours we spent together are among the most cherished of my Foleshill memories.
We are enjoying the fine days, and I am flourishing -- Mr. Lewes less so, but better. Both of us send heartiest regards to all, and I am
Always yours affectionately
Marian E. Lewes.
If it should ever happen to you to look at the number of Bentley's Quarterly Review 287 containing the review of Adam Bede, read it. There is much beautiful feeling in it. The article in the Edinburgh, by Forster, 288 though more laudatory, was less gratifying. Praise is so much less sweet than comprehension and sympathy. But no reviews are of any importance now. The 2d edition of Clerical Scenes is almost consumed.
Signature
Marian E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Charles Bray, Weymouth, [7 September 1859], Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/92192