GE to Charles Bray, London, 16 April [1863]
Title
GE to Charles Bray, London, 16 April [1863]
Title
GE to Charles Bray, London, 16 April [1863]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Charles Bray
Date(s)
- 1863-04-16
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Charles Bray, London, 16 April [1863]
MS: Yale. Hitherto unpublished.
Blandford Sq. | April 16. 62. 149
Dear Friend
I had seen Mr. Trollope's letter in the Athenaeum. 150 Any statement of his on that question is interesting and valuable, since it is the statement of a man whose nature is of quite remarkable simplicity and integrity. But one of the most striking facts about his evidence to us has been, that in our repeated conversations with him on the subject he -- being too sober-minded to "see double" and to[o] honest to wish to astonish his hearers by what is not true -- never tells anything of which no ordinary explanation is conceivable. The "higher phenomena" have been seen, as he hears, by his acquaintances, but for his part, he has only seen etc. etc. His deep interest in the subject arises from the confirmation it appears to him to bring to his yearning belief in a future life, and therefore in his theory of the manifestations, he keeps constantly before him the idea that the hidden cause is the action of departed spirits. He is not in the least a credulous man, but his mind is strongly swayed by moral beliefs. He is a Free-thinker with an ardent spirit of reform. His brother Mr. Anthony Trollope, on the other hand, is a Church of England man, clinging to whatever is, on the whole, and without fine distinctions, honest, lovely and of good report. I mention these points, although you may know them, lest, not knowing them, you should fall into some confusion of personalities and opinions.
We happen to have made arrangements for taking a short flight next week. On Saturday, if I am well enough -- if not, on Monday -- Mr. Lewes will take me to Dorking, and on his return to town will start for Hofwyl to see our third youngster and arrange about the time of his (Bertie's) return home. In the meanwhile, the servants will clean the house, and Charlie will tinkle on his piano with a chorus of scrubbing brushes and pails. If there were not matters of business which oblige us to make this plan absolute, I should wish to defer it for the sake of seeing Cara, who is as rare as a black swan, before inconvenient modern discoveries robbed us of that figure. With love to her and Sara
Always yours truly
M. E. Lewes.
Please to thank Sara for her last letter to me. I take her at her word by not writing -- knowing that she is one of the people who mean what they say.
MS: Yale. Hitherto unpublished.
Blandford Sq. | April 16. 62. 149
Dear Friend
I had seen Mr. Trollope's letter in the Athenaeum. 150 Any statement of his on that question is interesting and valuable, since it is the statement of a man whose nature is of quite remarkable simplicity and integrity. But one of the most striking facts about his evidence to us has been, that in our repeated conversations with him on the subject he -- being too sober-minded to "see double" and to[o] honest to wish to astonish his hearers by what is not true -- never tells anything of which no ordinary explanation is conceivable. The "higher phenomena" have been seen, as he hears, by his acquaintances, but for his part, he has only seen etc. etc. His deep interest in the subject arises from the confirmation it appears to him to bring to his yearning belief in a future life, and therefore in his theory of the manifestations, he keeps constantly before him the idea that the hidden cause is the action of departed spirits. He is not in the least a credulous man, but his mind is strongly swayed by moral beliefs. He is a Free-thinker with an ardent spirit of reform. His brother Mr. Anthony Trollope, on the other hand, is a Church of England man, clinging to whatever is, on the whole, and without fine distinctions, honest, lovely and of good report. I mention these points, although you may know them, lest, not knowing them, you should fall into some confusion of personalities and opinions.
We happen to have made arrangements for taking a short flight next week. On Saturday, if I am well enough -- if not, on Monday -- Mr. Lewes will take me to Dorking, and on his return to town will start for Hofwyl to see our third youngster and arrange about the time of his (Bertie's) return home. In the meanwhile, the servants will clean the house, and Charlie will tinkle on his piano with a chorus of scrubbing brushes and pails. If there were not matters of business which oblige us to make this plan absolute, I should wish to defer it for the sake of seeing Cara, who is as rare as a black swan, before inconvenient modern discoveries robbed us of that figure. With love to her and Sara
Always yours truly
M. E. Lewes.
Please to thank Sara for her last letter to me. I take her at her word by not writing -- knowing that she is one of the people who mean what they say.
Signature
M. E. Lewes.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Charles Bray, London, 16 April [1863], Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/92140