GE to John Chapman, Weimar, [15 October 1854]
Title
GE to John Chapman, Weimar, [15 October 1854]
Title
GE to John Chapman, Weimar, [15 October 1854]
Sender
George Eliot
Recipient
John Chapman
Date(s)
- 1854-10-15
Place
Weimar
Letter Content
GE to John Chapman, Weimar, [15 October 1854]
MS: Yale. Endorsed: M. Evans. Mostly published: Haight, George Eliot, pp. 161-163.
62a Kaufgasse, Weimar.
Dear Friend
It was a comfort to have a letter from you. Pray do not be so long again without writing to me. There are two ways in which you may send me the money; 228 either by Bank of England notes sent in halves by separate posts, or through Coutts's who would send it for me to their correspondents at Weimar. The advantage of the former plan is, that there would be no delay in it and consequently, no probability, as in the other case, of my being obliged to remain in Weimar longer than another week or ten days.
I am sorry that you are annoyed with questions about me. Do whatever seems likely to free you from such importunities. About my own justification I am entirely indifferent. But there is a report concerning Mr. Lewes which I must beg you to contradict whenever it is mentioned to you. It is, "that he has run away from his wife and family." This is so far from being true that he is in constant correspondence with his wife and is providing for her to the best of his power, while no man can be more nervously anxious than he about the future welfare of his children. The letters he has received from Mrs. Lewes since he has been away, as well as those which he has written to her, have confirmed everything he has told me about their past history and proved to me that his conduct as a husband has been in the highest degree noble and self-sacrificing. Since we have been here, circumstances (in which I am not concerned) have led to his determining on a separation, 229 but he has never contemplated withdrawing the most watchful care over his wife and the utmost efforts for his children.
We have been told of a silly story about a "message" sent by me "in a letter to Miss Martineau" which letter has been shown at the Reform Club. It is hardly necessary to tell you that I have had no communication with Miss Martineau, and that if I had, she is one of the last persons to whom I should speak as to a confidante. The phrase "run away" as applied to me is simply amusing -- I wonder what I had to run away from. But as applied to Mr. Lewes it is more serious, and I have thought it right to explain to you how utterly false it is. You are in possession of the broad facts of the case, but there are very many particulars which you do not know and which are perhaps necessary to set his character and conduct in their true light. Such particulars cannot be given in a letter. He has written to Carlyle and to Robert Chambers, stating as much of the truth as he can without too severely inculpating others. Helps already knew, and his sympathy was a great comfort when he passed through Weimar.
You ask me to tell you what reply you shall give to inquiries. I have nothing to deny or to conceal. I have done nothing with which any person has a right to interfere. I have surely full liberty to travel in Germany, and to travel with Mr. Lewes. No one here seems to find it at all scandalous that we should be together. Mr. Wilson and Mr. Marshall are as friendly and attentive as possible. But I do not wish to take the ground of ignoring what is unconventional in my position. I have counted the cost of the step that I have taken and am prepared to bear, without irritation or bitterness, renunciation by all my friends. I am not mistaken in the person to whom I have attached myself. He is worthy of the sacrifice I have incurred, and my only anxiety is that he should be rightly judged.
I don't like writing so much about myself, but I hope I shall be able to avoid entertaining you with such uninteresting matters in future. Perhaps I ought rather to say melancholy matters, for all human difficulties are interesting. I assure you yours are most interesting to me, and I am impatient at the very imperfect knowledge of them which a short letter gives me. I suppose James Martineau has won Froude over to his views and purposes. 230 Their hostility will affect the circulation of the Review, I fear. But you have courage and perseverance, at all events, and they are half the battle.
You said nothing about Herbert Spencer's address. I unfortunately told him to write to Berlin, thinking we should be there much earlier than it has turned out.
Mr. Lewes was in doubt whether he should not return to London to refute the report of his having "run away," but his health is so far from being established and he is so unequal to spending a winter of worry and sadness there that he will not do so unless it should prove absolutely necessary. He has given up the Leader.
Do write to me when you can, and believe me always, sincerely
Your obliged friend
Marian Evans.
Has Miss Tilley sailed for Australia?
MS: Yale. Endorsed: M. Evans. Mostly published: Haight, George Eliot, pp. 161-163.
62a Kaufgasse, Weimar.
Dear Friend
It was a comfort to have a letter from you. Pray do not be so long again without writing to me. There are two ways in which you may send me the money; 228 either by Bank of England notes sent in halves by separate posts, or through Coutts's who would send it for me to their correspondents at Weimar. The advantage of the former plan is, that there would be no delay in it and consequently, no probability, as in the other case, of my being obliged to remain in Weimar longer than another week or ten days.
I am sorry that you are annoyed with questions about me. Do whatever seems likely to free you from such importunities. About my own justification I am entirely indifferent. But there is a report concerning Mr. Lewes which I must beg you to contradict whenever it is mentioned to you. It is, "that he has run away from his wife and family." This is so far from being true that he is in constant correspondence with his wife and is providing for her to the best of his power, while no man can be more nervously anxious than he about the future welfare of his children. The letters he has received from Mrs. Lewes since he has been away, as well as those which he has written to her, have confirmed everything he has told me about their past history and proved to me that his conduct as a husband has been in the highest degree noble and self-sacrificing. Since we have been here, circumstances (in which I am not concerned) have led to his determining on a separation, 229 but he has never contemplated withdrawing the most watchful care over his wife and the utmost efforts for his children.
We have been told of a silly story about a "message" sent by me "in a letter to Miss Martineau" which letter has been shown at the Reform Club. It is hardly necessary to tell you that I have had no communication with Miss Martineau, and that if I had, she is one of the last persons to whom I should speak as to a confidante. The phrase "run away" as applied to me is simply amusing -- I wonder what I had to run away from. But as applied to Mr. Lewes it is more serious, and I have thought it right to explain to you how utterly false it is. You are in possession of the broad facts of the case, but there are very many particulars which you do not know and which are perhaps necessary to set his character and conduct in their true light. Such particulars cannot be given in a letter. He has written to Carlyle and to Robert Chambers, stating as much of the truth as he can without too severely inculpating others. Helps already knew, and his sympathy was a great comfort when he passed through Weimar.
You ask me to tell you what reply you shall give to inquiries. I have nothing to deny or to conceal. I have done nothing with which any person has a right to interfere. I have surely full liberty to travel in Germany, and to travel with Mr. Lewes. No one here seems to find it at all scandalous that we should be together. Mr. Wilson and Mr. Marshall are as friendly and attentive as possible. But I do not wish to take the ground of ignoring what is unconventional in my position. I have counted the cost of the step that I have taken and am prepared to bear, without irritation or bitterness, renunciation by all my friends. I am not mistaken in the person to whom I have attached myself. He is worthy of the sacrifice I have incurred, and my only anxiety is that he should be rightly judged.
I don't like writing so much about myself, but I hope I shall be able to avoid entertaining you with such uninteresting matters in future. Perhaps I ought rather to say melancholy matters, for all human difficulties are interesting. I assure you yours are most interesting to me, and I am impatient at the very imperfect knowledge of them which a short letter gives me. I suppose James Martineau has won Froude over to his views and purposes. 230 Their hostility will affect the circulation of the Review, I fear. But you have courage and perseverance, at all events, and they are half the battle.
You said nothing about Herbert Spencer's address. I unfortunately told him to write to Berlin, thinking we should be there much earlier than it has turned out.
Mr. Lewes was in doubt whether he should not return to London to refute the report of his having "run away," but his health is so far from being established and he is so unequal to spending a winter of worry and sadness there that he will not do so unless it should prove absolutely necessary. He has given up the Leader.
Do write to me when you can, and believe me always, sincerely
Your obliged friend
Marian Evans.
Has Miss Tilley sailed for Australia?
Signature
Marian Evans.
Citation
George Eliot, GE to John Chapman, Weimar, [15 October 1854], 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/92804