GE to Mr. Charles Bray and Caroline [Mrs. Charles] Bray, Geneva, 13 September [1849]
Title
GE to Mr. Charles Bray and Caroline [Mrs. Charles] Bray, Geneva, 13 September [1849]
Title
GE to Mr. Charles Bray and Caroline [Mrs. Charles] Bray, Geneva, 13 September [1849]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Mr. Charles Bray and Caroline [Mrs. Charles] Bray
Date(s)
- 1849-09-13
Place
Geneva
Letter Content
GE to Mr. Charles Bray and Caroline [Mrs. Charles] Bray, Geneva, 13 September [1849]
MS: Yale. Address: Charles Bray Esq | Rosehill | Coventry | Angleterre | Voie de France. Postmarks: GENEVE | 14 SEPT | 49 | 8'bdM; COVENTRY | SP 17 | 1849 | A. Extracts published: Cross, I, 221-222.
Plongeon September 13th.
Dear Friends
I have been expecting a letter from you for the last two or three days and I am just now hating you intensely because the postman has just been here and has brought nothing for me. My boxes arrived last Friday -- rather in disorder within, but otherwise safely enough. I miss some things which I thought I had put in, but I can hardly trust my memory on that head. I am chiefly distressed to find that there are no pocket handkerchiefs. The expense was 120 fr. -- perfectly horrible! Clearly I must give myself for food to the fowls of the air or the fishes of the lake. 832 It is a consolation to a mind imbued with a lofty philosophy that when one can get nothing to eat, one can still be eaten -- the evil is only apparent. It is quite settled that I cannot stay at Plongeon -- I must move into the town.
I have had a bilious attack, partly I believe from the way of living here -- long fasts etc. -- indeed I have never been well since I came. However I congratulate myself on this same bilious attack for I have had Dr. Lombard 833 to see me, a charming, frank person, who has studied in Edinburgh and speaks English well. He seemed to take a fancy to me and understood me at once -- tells me to send to him when I want anything -- said "I'll tell Prévost that I have seen you" -- and spoke to M. Prévost-Martin, 834 but he found that he, Mr. J.L.P., was gone to England again.
I thought of taking private lodgings in the town. I had fixed on some in the Terreaux de Chante-Poulet, but all the world says I must not go there. The Baronne de Ludwigsdorff, who is my chief friend here now, wants me to go to M. Gaussen-Huber's, 835 where she would go if she staid the winter in Geneva. M. Lombard too says he thinks that would be the best for me -- but, alas! I must pay 200 f. per month. If I were there I should see more conversable people than here. No one is received for less than a few months and there is never a larger number than 5 or 6. The Gaussen family is one of the most respectable (in the right sense) in Geneva. I think altogether that if I am to live through the winter I must go there. At private lodgings I should probably be robbed so as to make the expense greater even than in the other case.
Do you think any one would buy my Encyclopedia Britannica at 'bd price and my globes? If so I should not be afraid of exceeding my means and I should have a little money to pay for my piano and for some lessons of different kinds that I want to take. The Encyclopedia is the last edition 836 and cost £42, and the globes £8.10. The Enc[yclopedia] is in the oak-coloured chest, the globes in the chest with the padlock. I shall never have anywhere to put them, so it is folly to keep them if any one will buy them -- but do not teaze yourself about it unless you think it easy.
Mr. Sibree 837 called -- as perhaps you know by this time. I cannot say that I was in the least obliged to him as from the terms in which we are, it could be nothing else than a piece of impertinent curiosity. I beg you will neither give my address nor read my letters to any one else -- unless it be some one equal to yourselves in friendship for me or in refinement of mind. There are many people in whose happiness I take a great interest, whom yet I do not wish to interest themselves about me and my affairs. Miss Sibree has written to me and asks me to send my letters to her to Rosehill as she thinks her father would object to her corresponding with me. Please to give my love to her and tell her that I cannot carry on a correspondence with anyone who will not avow it. No one else has written to me, though I have written to almost all. I would rather have it so than feel that the debt was on my side. When will you come to me for help, that I may be able to hate you a little less? I shall leave here as soon as I am able to come to a decision as I am anxious to feel settled and the weather is becoming cold. This house is like a bird-cage set down in a garden. Do not count this among my letters. I am good for nothing today and can write nothing well but bitterness so that I will not trust myself to say another word except that you are dear good creatures and that I am
Your ever tiresome and seldom affectionate
Pollian.
There is a family of Forbes's 838 here -- related to Professor Forbes -- very strait-laced -- but very kind to me. M. de Herder is gone to the Pyrenees but will come again. Then there are a Mr. and Mrs. Wood, very rich people, who have lived in Italy chiefly, very commonplace but agreeable -- 3 raw-looking Germans who came yesterday -- a French family named Desaix, Parisians, husband and wife and two lovely boys, all interesting -- another French family just come. Mrs. Locke gone to Bex this morning. The Baroness de Ludwigsdorff whom I described to you -- she seems to have begun to like me very much and is really kind, taking upon herself, all the trouble about Madame Gaussen etc. -- so you see heaven sends kind souls, though they are by no means kindred ones. Poor Mrs. Locke is to write to me -- has given me a little ring -- says "take care of yourself, my child -- have some tea of your own -- you'll be quite another person if you get some introductions to clever people -- you'll get on well among a certain set, that's true" -- it is her way to say "that's true" after all her affirmations. She says, "You won't find any kindred spirits at Plongeon, my dear."
MS: Yale. Address: Charles Bray Esq | Rosehill | Coventry | Angleterre | Voie de France. Postmarks: GENEVE | 14 SEPT | 49 | 8'bdM; COVENTRY | SP 17 | 1849 | A. Extracts published: Cross, I, 221-222.
Plongeon September 13th.
Dear Friends
I have been expecting a letter from you for the last two or three days and I am just now hating you intensely because the postman has just been here and has brought nothing for me. My boxes arrived last Friday -- rather in disorder within, but otherwise safely enough. I miss some things which I thought I had put in, but I can hardly trust my memory on that head. I am chiefly distressed to find that there are no pocket handkerchiefs. The expense was 120 fr. -- perfectly horrible! Clearly I must give myself for food to the fowls of the air or the fishes of the lake. 832 It is a consolation to a mind imbued with a lofty philosophy that when one can get nothing to eat, one can still be eaten -- the evil is only apparent. It is quite settled that I cannot stay at Plongeon -- I must move into the town.
I have had a bilious attack, partly I believe from the way of living here -- long fasts etc. -- indeed I have never been well since I came. However I congratulate myself on this same bilious attack for I have had Dr. Lombard 833 to see me, a charming, frank person, who has studied in Edinburgh and speaks English well. He seemed to take a fancy to me and understood me at once -- tells me to send to him when I want anything -- said "I'll tell Prévost that I have seen you" -- and spoke to M. Prévost-Martin, 834 but he found that he, Mr. J.L.P., was gone to England again.
I thought of taking private lodgings in the town. I had fixed on some in the Terreaux de Chante-Poulet, but all the world says I must not go there. The Baronne de Ludwigsdorff, who is my chief friend here now, wants me to go to M. Gaussen-Huber's, 835 where she would go if she staid the winter in Geneva. M. Lombard too says he thinks that would be the best for me -- but, alas! I must pay 200 f. per month. If I were there I should see more conversable people than here. No one is received for less than a few months and there is never a larger number than 5 or 6. The Gaussen family is one of the most respectable (in the right sense) in Geneva. I think altogether that if I am to live through the winter I must go there. At private lodgings I should probably be robbed so as to make the expense greater even than in the other case.
Do you think any one would buy my Encyclopedia Britannica at 'bd price and my globes? If so I should not be afraid of exceeding my means and I should have a little money to pay for my piano and for some lessons of different kinds that I want to take. The Encyclopedia is the last edition 836 and cost £42, and the globes £8.10. The Enc[yclopedia] is in the oak-coloured chest, the globes in the chest with the padlock. I shall never have anywhere to put them, so it is folly to keep them if any one will buy them -- but do not teaze yourself about it unless you think it easy.
Mr. Sibree 837 called -- as perhaps you know by this time. I cannot say that I was in the least obliged to him as from the terms in which we are, it could be nothing else than a piece of impertinent curiosity. I beg you will neither give my address nor read my letters to any one else -- unless it be some one equal to yourselves in friendship for me or in refinement of mind. There are many people in whose happiness I take a great interest, whom yet I do not wish to interest themselves about me and my affairs. Miss Sibree has written to me and asks me to send my letters to her to Rosehill as she thinks her father would object to her corresponding with me. Please to give my love to her and tell her that I cannot carry on a correspondence with anyone who will not avow it. No one else has written to me, though I have written to almost all. I would rather have it so than feel that the debt was on my side. When will you come to me for help, that I may be able to hate you a little less? I shall leave here as soon as I am able to come to a decision as I am anxious to feel settled and the weather is becoming cold. This house is like a bird-cage set down in a garden. Do not count this among my letters. I am good for nothing today and can write nothing well but bitterness so that I will not trust myself to say another word except that you are dear good creatures and that I am
Your ever tiresome and seldom affectionate
Pollian.
There is a family of Forbes's 838 here -- related to Professor Forbes -- very strait-laced -- but very kind to me. M. de Herder is gone to the Pyrenees but will come again. Then there are a Mr. and Mrs. Wood, very rich people, who have lived in Italy chiefly, very commonplace but agreeable -- 3 raw-looking Germans who came yesterday -- a French family named Desaix, Parisians, husband and wife and two lovely boys, all interesting -- another French family just come. Mrs. Locke gone to Bex this morning. The Baroness de Ludwigsdorff whom I described to you -- she seems to have begun to like me very much and is really kind, taking upon herself, all the trouble about Madame Gaussen etc. -- so you see heaven sends kind souls, though they are by no means kindred ones. Poor Mrs. Locke is to write to me -- has given me a little ring -- says "take care of yourself, my child -- have some tea of your own -- you'll be quite another person if you get some introductions to clever people -- you'll get on well among a certain set, that's true" -- it is her way to say "that's true" after all her affirmations. She says, "You won't find any kindred spirits at Plongeon, my dear."
Signature
Pollian.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Mr. Charles Bray and Caroline [Mrs. Charles] Bray, Geneva, 13 September [1849], 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/93160