GE to Herbert Spencer, London, [21 April 1852]
Title
GE to Herbert Spencer, London, [21 April 1852]
Title
GE to Herbert Spencer, London, [21 April 1852]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
Herbert Spencer
Date(s)
- 1852-04-21
Place
London
Letter Content
GE to Herbert Spencer, London, [21 April 1852]
MS: British Museum. Published: Bulletin of the New York Public Library, 79 (Spring 1976), 365.
Dear Friend
Not for the "satisfaction of breaking a conventionalism," 79 but for the sake of hearing Le Proph'e8te 80 and yet more of hearing it with you, I accept your kind proposal. I am not sure that I understand your note, or rather, I am sure that I do not. But prior to all further explanation, or, if you wish, to the exclusion of it, let me assure you that I never imputed to you an ungenerous thought. I felt disappointed rather than "hurt" that you should not have sufficiently divined my character to perceive how remote it is from my habitual state of mind to imagine that any one is falling in love with me. 81 But perhaps I still misapprehend you, so I will run no risk of blundering further. I will only say, that I value your regard very highly, and that the more strictly truthful you are to me, both explicitly and implicitly, the better I like you.
Yours very sincerely
Marian Evans.
42 Strand | Wednesday
MS: British Museum. Published: Bulletin of the New York Public Library, 79 (Spring 1976), 365.
Dear Friend
Not for the "satisfaction of breaking a conventionalism," 79 but for the sake of hearing Le Proph'e8te 80 and yet more of hearing it with you, I accept your kind proposal. I am not sure that I understand your note, or rather, I am sure that I do not. But prior to all further explanation, or, if you wish, to the exclusion of it, let me assure you that I never imputed to you an ungenerous thought. I felt disappointed rather than "hurt" that you should not have sufficiently divined my character to perceive how remote it is from my habitual state of mind to imagine that any one is falling in love with me. 81 But perhaps I still misapprehend you, so I will run no risk of blundering further. I will only say, that I value your regard very highly, and that the more strictly truthful you are to me, both explicitly and implicitly, the better I like you.
Yours very sincerely
Marian Evans.
42 Strand | Wednesday
Signature
Marian Evans.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to Herbert Spencer, London, [21 April 1852], 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/92528