GHL to Mary Finlay Cross, Rickmansworth, 8 July 1875
Title
GHL to Mary Finlay Cross, Rickmansworth, 8 July 1875
Title
GHL to Mary Finlay Cross, Rickmansworth, 8 July 1875
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
Mary Finlay Cross
Date(s)
- 1875-07-08
Place
Rickmansworth
Letter Content
GHL to Mary Finlay Cross, Rickmansworth, 8 July 1875
MS: Miss Emily Cross. Hitherto unpublished.
The Elms, Rickmansworth, Saturday July 8th 75.
Dearest Niece
Your bright letter was like a gleam of sunshine (much needed in these rainy days) with its pleasant picture of the Aachen group -- Johnny's flirtations with Sulphur Springs and Dutch Dolls (to whom my compliments with the whispered addition that Johnny "is not a Prussian having been born at Chelsea" -- dass Sie es wissen!) Florie's caricaturings, and Germanizings with wild outbursts of British audacity in throwing herself among genders and inflexions! -- and Eleanor drawing in the shade, making her observations on the passing world, with stray thoughts in the direction of Aunt and Uncle!
I should have acknowledged it at once but I thought I would wait till after Lady Airlie's 280 Garden Party that I might give you an account of it, there being absolutely nothing else of new. Know then that being invited to meet the Queen of Holland, 281 and finding I could run up to town comfortably after lunch, and be back home again by 8, I arrayed myself in my [war paint,] and presented myself at Airlie Lodge. To my surprise I found that the Queen had expressed a special wish that I should be presented to her, so immediately on her arrival that ceremony took place. You must imagine a pale plain elderly woman of somewhat feeble and certainly unenchanting aspect -- and opposite her stands -- The Matchless! Then this dialogue ensues.
Queen. Very glad to see you, Mr. Lewes. I saw you in 1871 282 at Florence. You were there were you not?
The M. I was, your Majesty.
Q. You were pointed out to me at the theatre, you and your wife. Lady Airlie (not having caught the word [Florence] or because [Weimar] was running in her head, we having been talking of it when the Q. arrived) "Mr. Lewes says they were so very kind to him at Weimar."
Q. (with something like fretful impatience) I don't want to hear about Weimar! (loftily) I have done with them. (Family quarrel) -- So you like Weimar, Mr. Lewes? (a touch of sarcasm in the tone)
The M. Well, your Majesty, I was very happy there and much interested in everything.
Q. It's a very ugly place. You can't say it's beautiful!
The M. No, not beautiful -- certainly not like Florence.
Q. Oh! Florence is charming. (a pause) I admire your writings -- as to your wife's, all the world admires them.
Here the Matchless bows, and begins to think [when will this come to an end.] Lady Dillon 283 and Jenny Lind 284 were brought up to be presented, and this seemed an opening for escape, so I whispered to Mrs. Howard, "May I consider the audience over?" "Yes, if you are bored." "I am." "Then come and talk with me." Accordingly we slipped on to the lawn, and though I saw, I did not again approach her majesty.
It was a brilliant sight that garden dotted with lovely women and lovely dresses (with some not so lovely!) and celebrated men and [nobs.] 285 I enjoyed an hour and a half of it; and came away wondering whether I had produced anything like the same impression on Royalty that Royalty had produced on me.
We stay here till the middle of October; we have not taken the house for more than that time; but perhaps shall go to the seaside or to Paris while the Priory is getting itself cleaned. We are having the Drawing Room redecorated and restored, and the outside Roman cemented. You don't say how long [die Kur] is to last -- with that debauchery of six glasses before breakfast I should prophesy that a Kur would be a Kuri'f6se Erscheinung! (There's a pun!!!)
The dear Aunt sends her love to Nieces and Nephew to which ditto do is subscribed by
The Matchless.
MS: Miss Emily Cross. Hitherto unpublished.
The Elms, Rickmansworth, Saturday July 8th 75.
Dearest Niece
Your bright letter was like a gleam of sunshine (much needed in these rainy days) with its pleasant picture of the Aachen group -- Johnny's flirtations with Sulphur Springs and Dutch Dolls (to whom my compliments with the whispered addition that Johnny "is not a Prussian having been born at Chelsea" -- dass Sie es wissen!) Florie's caricaturings, and Germanizings with wild outbursts of British audacity in throwing herself among genders and inflexions! -- and Eleanor drawing in the shade, making her observations on the passing world, with stray thoughts in the direction of Aunt and Uncle!
I should have acknowledged it at once but I thought I would wait till after Lady Airlie's 280 Garden Party that I might give you an account of it, there being absolutely nothing else of new. Know then that being invited to meet the Queen of Holland, 281 and finding I could run up to town comfortably after lunch, and be back home again by 8, I arrayed myself in my [war paint,] and presented myself at Airlie Lodge. To my surprise I found that the Queen had expressed a special wish that I should be presented to her, so immediately on her arrival that ceremony took place. You must imagine a pale plain elderly woman of somewhat feeble and certainly unenchanting aspect -- and opposite her stands -- The Matchless! Then this dialogue ensues.
Queen. Very glad to see you, Mr. Lewes. I saw you in 1871 282 at Florence. You were there were you not?
The M. I was, your Majesty.
Q. You were pointed out to me at the theatre, you and your wife. Lady Airlie (not having caught the word [Florence] or because [Weimar] was running in her head, we having been talking of it when the Q. arrived) "Mr. Lewes says they were so very kind to him at Weimar."
Q. (with something like fretful impatience) I don't want to hear about Weimar! (loftily) I have done with them. (Family quarrel) -- So you like Weimar, Mr. Lewes? (a touch of sarcasm in the tone)
The M. Well, your Majesty, I was very happy there and much interested in everything.
Q. It's a very ugly place. You can't say it's beautiful!
The M. No, not beautiful -- certainly not like Florence.
Q. Oh! Florence is charming. (a pause) I admire your writings -- as to your wife's, all the world admires them.
Here the Matchless bows, and begins to think [when will this come to an end.] Lady Dillon 283 and Jenny Lind 284 were brought up to be presented, and this seemed an opening for escape, so I whispered to Mrs. Howard, "May I consider the audience over?" "Yes, if you are bored." "I am." "Then come and talk with me." Accordingly we slipped on to the lawn, and though I saw, I did not again approach her majesty.
It was a brilliant sight that garden dotted with lovely women and lovely dresses (with some not so lovely!) and celebrated men and [nobs.] 285 I enjoyed an hour and a half of it; and came away wondering whether I had produced anything like the same impression on Royalty that Royalty had produced on me.
We stay here till the middle of October; we have not taken the house for more than that time; but perhaps shall go to the seaside or to Paris while the Priory is getting itself cleaned. We are having the Drawing Room redecorated and restored, and the outside Roman cemented. You don't say how long [die Kur] is to last -- with that debauchery of six glasses before breakfast I should prophesy that a Kur would be a Kuri'f6se Erscheinung! (There's a pun!!!)
The dear Aunt sends her love to Nieces and Nephew to which ditto do is subscribed by
The Matchless.
Signature
The Matchless.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to Mary Finlay Cross, Rickmansworth, 8 July 1875, 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/94888