GHL Journal, London, 1-7 June 1866
Title
GHL Journal, London, 1-7 June 1866
Title
GHL Journal, London, 1-7 June 1866
Sender
Ghl Journal
Recipient
U
Date(s)
- 1866-06-01–<br /> 1866-06-07
Place
London
Letter Content
GHL Journal, London, 1-7 June 1866
MS: Yale. Extracts published: Kitchel, 238-239.
Friday 1st.
Yesterday Polly finished Felix Holt. The sense of relief was very great and all day long suffused itself over our thoughts. The continual ill health of the last months, and her dreadful nervousness and depression, made the writing a serious matter. Blackwood (who is overjoyed at her return to him and who pays £5,000 for the copyright during five years) thinks the book superior to Adam Bede. I cannot share that opinion; but the book is a noble book and will I think be more popular than the Mill. She went into town with me and did a little shopping; and in the evening Owen Jones came and smoked till 12.
To-day I worked at Roger Bacon -- for the new edition of my Hist[ory] of Phil[osophy] and went with Polly to see Mother. After lunch we had the brougham and did a deal of shopping.
Saturday. 2nd. To-day read the last proof of Felix Holt -- which has been at press during the composition of the last volume (written in 6 weeks) and latterly the printing has overtaken the writing. -- Continued Roger Bacon, and finished it. Blackwood and his Nephew called to express their great delight in the windup of Felix Holt. After lunch I went to the Zoological Gardens alone to hear the band. On the way met Bulwer who stopped the Brougham to have a long chat about the Fortnightly Review, Felix Holt, and the present state of parties.
Sunday 3rd. Read Kant. Called with Polly on Mother and Nursie. Forman, Dr. Baetche, and Deutsch 473 the afternoon visitors. After dinner Bain called and stayed till 11 discussing philosophical questions. Together we groped our way to some explanation of the organic differences between the receptive and active intellects. He began by remarking how men of active productivity were almost always men of small receptivity; and too impatient to be doing, were almost incapable of learning. I suggested that in them the reflex was more direct than in the receptive natures: an idea or emotion rapidly discharging itself in a result or action, instead of exercising a wide reflex on the sensibilities and awakening a complex ideal precursor to the act.
Monday 4th. Read Kant and Motley's United Netherlands. 474 Went to the office. Trollope, Dennis, Bain, and Mad. Bodichon to dinner. Bain startled us by his antichristian onslaught, and Trollope amused us by his defence. One bit of Bain's convulsed me with laughter. He was arguing against the principle of self sacrifice being insisted on as a point of duty, and referring to the contrast between the early Christians and Butler, 475 the former in the fervor of converts accepting the idea of sacrifice with enthusiasm, the latter never daring to hint that every sacrifice would not be [repaid.] "Such was Butler's view of what man in the 17th century required. Not that I agree with him. I think that in all centuries there have been men quite ready to abandon all idea of compensation, ready to give their sixpence with no thought of getting it back." The Scotch accent gave this an exquisitely droll effect.
Tuesday 5th. Read Kant. Took leave of mother. Blackwood and his Nephew came to lunch. Went to the opera: L'Elisir d'amore -- Patti, Mario, Romoni, Faure. 40 minutes before we could get the Brougham!
Wednesday 6th. Preparations for departure. Made all arrangements at the office. Trollope takes my place. On my way home met Dickens who walked home with me. Curious stories of dreams, etc. One night after one of his readings dreamt he was in a room where everyone was dressed in scarlet (after glow of the scarlet opera-cloaks) and a lady standing just before him he stumbled against her; apologized; she turned and said "My name is Napier"; face perfectly unknown; name unknown. Two days after he read again and before beginning Miss Boyle entered his little room accompanied by a lady in a scarlet cloak desiring to be introduced to him. "Not Miss Napier?" he said jokingly -- "Yes, it was a Miss Napier."
During the railway accident in which he had a narrow escape he saw a bride lying dead in one of the carriages; she had excited his interest on board; husband looking for her; Dickens led him to other carriage and gradually prepared him for the sight. No sooner did he see her corpse than he rushed round a field at the top of his speed, his hands above his head, and then dropped fainting. -- Another man described his sensations on finding himself in the ooze of the river: he thought the moisture was his own blood, but he crawled out and sat down to wipe his face -- the fact being that Dickens saw him get out and run up and down a plank for half an hour before sitting down to wipe his face; of this he was unconscious. 476 Albert Smith unconscious of all that had passed for 48 hours previous to his epileptic attack.
Charles and Gertrude came to say goodbye; but I was suffering from a terrible sick headache and had to go to bed after dinner.
Thursday 7. Head still very bad. Final preparation. Started at 8.30 for Dover. The train made my head worse. Lord Warden; comfortable room.
MS: Yale. Extracts published: Kitchel, 238-239.
Friday 1st.
Yesterday Polly finished Felix Holt. The sense of relief was very great and all day long suffused itself over our thoughts. The continual ill health of the last months, and her dreadful nervousness and depression, made the writing a serious matter. Blackwood (who is overjoyed at her return to him and who pays £5,000 for the copyright during five years) thinks the book superior to Adam Bede. I cannot share that opinion; but the book is a noble book and will I think be more popular than the Mill. She went into town with me and did a little shopping; and in the evening Owen Jones came and smoked till 12.
To-day I worked at Roger Bacon -- for the new edition of my Hist[ory] of Phil[osophy] and went with Polly to see Mother. After lunch we had the brougham and did a deal of shopping.
Saturday. 2nd. To-day read the last proof of Felix Holt -- which has been at press during the composition of the last volume (written in 6 weeks) and latterly the printing has overtaken the writing. -- Continued Roger Bacon, and finished it. Blackwood and his Nephew called to express their great delight in the windup of Felix Holt. After lunch I went to the Zoological Gardens alone to hear the band. On the way met Bulwer who stopped the Brougham to have a long chat about the Fortnightly Review, Felix Holt, and the present state of parties.
Sunday 3rd. Read Kant. Called with Polly on Mother and Nursie. Forman, Dr. Baetche, and Deutsch 473 the afternoon visitors. After dinner Bain called and stayed till 11 discussing philosophical questions. Together we groped our way to some explanation of the organic differences between the receptive and active intellects. He began by remarking how men of active productivity were almost always men of small receptivity; and too impatient to be doing, were almost incapable of learning. I suggested that in them the reflex was more direct than in the receptive natures: an idea or emotion rapidly discharging itself in a result or action, instead of exercising a wide reflex on the sensibilities and awakening a complex ideal precursor to the act.
Monday 4th. Read Kant and Motley's United Netherlands. 474 Went to the office. Trollope, Dennis, Bain, and Mad. Bodichon to dinner. Bain startled us by his antichristian onslaught, and Trollope amused us by his defence. One bit of Bain's convulsed me with laughter. He was arguing against the principle of self sacrifice being insisted on as a point of duty, and referring to the contrast between the early Christians and Butler, 475 the former in the fervor of converts accepting the idea of sacrifice with enthusiasm, the latter never daring to hint that every sacrifice would not be [repaid.] "Such was Butler's view of what man in the 17th century required. Not that I agree with him. I think that in all centuries there have been men quite ready to abandon all idea of compensation, ready to give their sixpence with no thought of getting it back." The Scotch accent gave this an exquisitely droll effect.
Tuesday 5th. Read Kant. Took leave of mother. Blackwood and his Nephew came to lunch. Went to the opera: L'Elisir d'amore -- Patti, Mario, Romoni, Faure. 40 minutes before we could get the Brougham!
Wednesday 6th. Preparations for departure. Made all arrangements at the office. Trollope takes my place. On my way home met Dickens who walked home with me. Curious stories of dreams, etc. One night after one of his readings dreamt he was in a room where everyone was dressed in scarlet (after glow of the scarlet opera-cloaks) and a lady standing just before him he stumbled against her; apologized; she turned and said "My name is Napier"; face perfectly unknown; name unknown. Two days after he read again and before beginning Miss Boyle entered his little room accompanied by a lady in a scarlet cloak desiring to be introduced to him. "Not Miss Napier?" he said jokingly -- "Yes, it was a Miss Napier."
During the railway accident in which he had a narrow escape he saw a bride lying dead in one of the carriages; she had excited his interest on board; husband looking for her; Dickens led him to other carriage and gradually prepared him for the sight. No sooner did he see her corpse than he rushed round a field at the top of his speed, his hands above his head, and then dropped fainting. -- Another man described his sensations on finding himself in the ooze of the river: he thought the moisture was his own blood, but he crawled out and sat down to wipe his face -- the fact being that Dickens saw him get out and run up and down a plank for half an hour before sitting down to wipe his face; of this he was unconscious. 476 Albert Smith unconscious of all that had passed for 48 hours previous to his epileptic attack.
Charles and Gertrude came to say goodbye; but I was suffering from a terrible sick headache and had to go to bed after dinner.
Thursday 7. Head still very bad. Final preparation. Started at 8.30 for Dover. The train made my head worse. Lord Warden; comfortable room.
Citation
Ghl Journal, GHL Journal, London, 1-7 June 1866, 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/94308