GHL to Robert Lytton, London, 29 April 1871
Title
GHL to Robert Lytton, London, 29 April 1871
Title
GHL to Robert Lytton, London, 29 April 1871
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
Robert Lyt
Date(s)
- 1871-04-29
Place
London
Letter Content
GHL to Robert Lytton, London, 29 April 1871
MS: Lady Hermione Cobbold.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
April 1871.
My dear Lytton
Just as we are packing up for the country your welcome letter arrives, and I suspend the hateful work of stooping for the pleasant work of chatting with you both.
We are somewhat puzzled by the contradictory statements you make as to your condition. You first [can't afford] Carlsbad -- then you are [fortunately this year independent of all vile pecuniary considerations] -- and further you give up your house at the end of the summer -- How reconcile this, Master Brook? 26 As we are anxious on the material question pray enlighten us when next you write. It is horrible to think of you as perplexed with money matters.
I am glad to hear that the [Fables] will put in an appearance. Polly has a poem about to appear in Macmillan's (July) a copy of which will be sent you. She is also at work on a novel and we go into the solitudes of Surrey, away from London with its oppression of peeresses, poets, philosophers, and indiscriminate Christians, who make our Sundays in the season very exhausting. In our country cottage far away from all distraction we hope to get on with our work -- how people do work who live in society is a mystery -- but perhaps the mystery is simply that they don't! We have taken an artist's cottage 27 for the summer with option of continuing it as yearly tenants. There I shall dig, and dig, and dig at the foundations of philosophy, and she will create. That we shall often talk of you both on our rambles be assured. We have both been ailing all the winter and spring, so that quiet and country air are on all accounts needed.
I am pleased to hear of Viller's pleasure in the Goethe and shall be glad to hear from him. Remember us to Liszt when you see him. We have had Tourgu'e9neff here lately and seen much of him. He was an old fellow student of mine in Berlin in 1838 and we had not met since! He's a superb creature and a real genius. Do you know his R'e9cits d'un chasseur? 28 if not, do. -- Every Saturday I go to Mad. Viardot's -- she has charming musical soir'e9es, and as Polly declines to go out, Viardot kindly proposed to come to her some afternoon and sing as long as she liked. She did so, and a splendid exhibition it was! 29 One of your appreciators and real well-wishers, Lady Castletown, pointed out to me what a group of genius and of what variety of genius there was standing in a small circle on that occasion -- Tourgu'e9neff, Viardot, Browning, Trollope, Burne-Jones, and Polly.
Your remembrance of Ben was touching; but alas! misplaced. He has gone where the good bulldogs go. I wonder whether life in the future regions will be [diversified with cats] -- as in this world?
Our love to your wife
Ever faithfully yours,
G. H. L.
MS: Lady Hermione Cobbold.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
April 1871.
My dear Lytton
Just as we are packing up for the country your welcome letter arrives, and I suspend the hateful work of stooping for the pleasant work of chatting with you both.
We are somewhat puzzled by the contradictory statements you make as to your condition. You first [can't afford] Carlsbad -- then you are [fortunately this year independent of all vile pecuniary considerations] -- and further you give up your house at the end of the summer -- How reconcile this, Master Brook? 26 As we are anxious on the material question pray enlighten us when next you write. It is horrible to think of you as perplexed with money matters.
I am glad to hear that the [Fables] will put in an appearance. Polly has a poem about to appear in Macmillan's (July) a copy of which will be sent you. She is also at work on a novel and we go into the solitudes of Surrey, away from London with its oppression of peeresses, poets, philosophers, and indiscriminate Christians, who make our Sundays in the season very exhausting. In our country cottage far away from all distraction we hope to get on with our work -- how people do work who live in society is a mystery -- but perhaps the mystery is simply that they don't! We have taken an artist's cottage 27 for the summer with option of continuing it as yearly tenants. There I shall dig, and dig, and dig at the foundations of philosophy, and she will create. That we shall often talk of you both on our rambles be assured. We have both been ailing all the winter and spring, so that quiet and country air are on all accounts needed.
I am pleased to hear of Viller's pleasure in the Goethe and shall be glad to hear from him. Remember us to Liszt when you see him. We have had Tourgu'e9neff here lately and seen much of him. He was an old fellow student of mine in Berlin in 1838 and we had not met since! He's a superb creature and a real genius. Do you know his R'e9cits d'un chasseur? 28 if not, do. -- Every Saturday I go to Mad. Viardot's -- she has charming musical soir'e9es, and as Polly declines to go out, Viardot kindly proposed to come to her some afternoon and sing as long as she liked. She did so, and a splendid exhibition it was! 29 One of your appreciators and real well-wishers, Lady Castletown, pointed out to me what a group of genius and of what variety of genius there was standing in a small circle on that occasion -- Tourgu'e9neff, Viardot, Browning, Trollope, Burne-Jones, and Polly.
Your remembrance of Ben was touching; but alas! misplaced. He has gone where the good bulldogs go. I wonder whether life in the future regions will be [diversified with cats] -- as in this world?
Our love to your wife
Ever faithfully yours,
G. H. L.
Signature
G. H. L.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to Robert Lytton, London, 29 April 1871, 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/95007