GHL and GE to Charles Lee Lewes, Florence, 5 May 1861
Title
GHL and GE to Charles Lee Lewes, Florence, 5 May 1861
Title
GHL and GE to Charles Lee Lewes, Florence, 5 May 1861
Sender
George Henry Lewes (and George Eliot)
Recipient
Charles Lee Lewes
Date(s)
- 1861-05-05
Place
Florence
Letter Content
GHL and GE to Charles Lee Lewes, Florence, 5 May 1861
Text: Paterson, pp. 88-91. GE's postscript revised from the MS in Mrs. Ouvry's collection.
Florence. | Sunday, May 5, 1861.
My dear Boy,
It did the hearts of the tired Mutter and Pater good, last evening, to get your long and pleasant letter. We had swallowed some tea and said deux mots to a thin beefsteak, not by any means juicy, when I trotted out to the post in the rain and quickly came back bearing letters from "the boy" and from Blackwood; that from the latter containing the best of news about "Silas," namely, that the "Row" is buying furiously, that everyone speaks admiringly, and that the edition is 7,500 copies, or was on the 24th of last month.
You will have received the darling Mutter's long letter from Nice, therefore I take from that point and resume the history of our very long, very delightful and very expensive journey here. On Friday we started by Vetturino (one always says by vetturino, though why one should go by coachman and not by coach is not clear) for Mentone, which we reached at noon. The carriage was as comfortable and elegant as a private carriage in England and the horses good. The road was a succession of pictures, winding up the mountain passes with the snowy Appennines as a grand line on one horizon and the Mediterranean "deeply, darkly, beautifully blue" 758 on the other, through groves of olives and orchards of orange trees and lemon trees bearing their golden fruit. At Mentone we had half a day of delicious rambling, planning to have a lovely place of our own some day, wherein Pater would raise his own peas, his own pears and his own frogs -- leaving filius to do the hard work of digging, etc. Saturday we had another exquisite day; we stayed two hours to lunch and repose at San Remo, where we saw palm trees in blossom. Sunday the route to Savona was less beautiful, but even less means much beauty. Early to bed as a step to getting wealthy and wise. Monday we got to Genoa and our stay was again intoxicating (not alcoholic), we were as enraptured as we were last year. We went to hear Verdi's Attila bawled with great vigour at the Opera.
Mutter sternly resisted Genoese velvets and Genoese bracelets, so that we bought nothing at Genoa but a few volumes of Italian literature and history. We stayed at a charming place (Camogli) to lunch, slept at Sestri, next day we got to Spezia, which is very beautiful -- I mean the bay and Carrara marble mountains, and yesterday got to Pietra Santa and thence to Pisa where we spent four hours and for the 3rd time were thrilled by the marvels of the place. During the last part of journey Mutter has not been quite well and to-day she is languid with a slight cold. I have scarcely left room for her p.s. so will only say God bless you.
Your loving
Pater.
[In GE'S hand.]
Enter Mutter (with her nose running and her feet well muffled). 759 She imagines herself kissing her dearest Grub and says that she is delighted to hear of his having passed the time industriously and pleasantly. Glad, too, to hear of poor Empson's 760 reprieve. No doubt he will be wiser in future. The only thing in all the letter (about yourself) that makes me sorry is that you should heat yourself with running. Is that wise? Your letter was just what we wanted -- full of particulars. Write us another like it very soon, and tell me how Grace and Amelia are and whether you are quite comfortable en m'e9nage. Remember me to poor Nursie and say I hope to hear she is less suffering than when I saw her. Tell me, too, whether Miss Allen (your "funny little thing") has yet called for the little book wrapped up in newspaper which I left for her on the drawing-room table. I am afraid of some mistake about it and you know it is very precious, being the children's 761 present to Mrs. Bodichon. Take M. d'Albert's letter out of the envelope and send it to me. He sometimes sends no envelope; in that case enclose it with one of yours. Pater has been pretty well until to-day, but now he has a bad sore throat. We talk of you very often and I think of you still oftener. The two months will soon be gone, alas -- like other months.
Text: Paterson, pp. 88-91. GE's postscript revised from the MS in Mrs. Ouvry's collection.
Florence. | Sunday, May 5, 1861.
My dear Boy,
It did the hearts of the tired Mutter and Pater good, last evening, to get your long and pleasant letter. We had swallowed some tea and said deux mots to a thin beefsteak, not by any means juicy, when I trotted out to the post in the rain and quickly came back bearing letters from "the boy" and from Blackwood; that from the latter containing the best of news about "Silas," namely, that the "Row" is buying furiously, that everyone speaks admiringly, and that the edition is 7,500 copies, or was on the 24th of last month.
You will have received the darling Mutter's long letter from Nice, therefore I take from that point and resume the history of our very long, very delightful and very expensive journey here. On Friday we started by Vetturino (one always says by vetturino, though why one should go by coachman and not by coach is not clear) for Mentone, which we reached at noon. The carriage was as comfortable and elegant as a private carriage in England and the horses good. The road was a succession of pictures, winding up the mountain passes with the snowy Appennines as a grand line on one horizon and the Mediterranean "deeply, darkly, beautifully blue" 758 on the other, through groves of olives and orchards of orange trees and lemon trees bearing their golden fruit. At Mentone we had half a day of delicious rambling, planning to have a lovely place of our own some day, wherein Pater would raise his own peas, his own pears and his own frogs -- leaving filius to do the hard work of digging, etc. Saturday we had another exquisite day; we stayed two hours to lunch and repose at San Remo, where we saw palm trees in blossom. Sunday the route to Savona was less beautiful, but even less means much beauty. Early to bed as a step to getting wealthy and wise. Monday we got to Genoa and our stay was again intoxicating (not alcoholic), we were as enraptured as we were last year. We went to hear Verdi's Attila bawled with great vigour at the Opera.
Mutter sternly resisted Genoese velvets and Genoese bracelets, so that we bought nothing at Genoa but a few volumes of Italian literature and history. We stayed at a charming place (Camogli) to lunch, slept at Sestri, next day we got to Spezia, which is very beautiful -- I mean the bay and Carrara marble mountains, and yesterday got to Pietra Santa and thence to Pisa where we spent four hours and for the 3rd time were thrilled by the marvels of the place. During the last part of journey Mutter has not been quite well and to-day she is languid with a slight cold. I have scarcely left room for her p.s. so will only say God bless you.
Your loving
Pater.
[In GE'S hand.]
Enter Mutter (with her nose running and her feet well muffled). 759 She imagines herself kissing her dearest Grub and says that she is delighted to hear of his having passed the time industriously and pleasantly. Glad, too, to hear of poor Empson's 760 reprieve. No doubt he will be wiser in future. The only thing in all the letter (about yourself) that makes me sorry is that you should heat yourself with running. Is that wise? Your letter was just what we wanted -- full of particulars. Write us another like it very soon, and tell me how Grace and Amelia are and whether you are quite comfortable en m'e9nage. Remember me to poor Nursie and say I hope to hear she is less suffering than when I saw her. Tell me, too, whether Miss Allen (your "funny little thing") has yet called for the little book wrapped up in newspaper which I left for her on the drawing-room table. I am afraid of some mistake about it and you know it is very precious, being the children's 761 present to Mrs. Bodichon. Take M. d'Albert's letter out of the envelope and send it to me. He sometimes sends no envelope; in that case enclose it with one of yours. Pater has been pretty well until to-day, but now he has a bad sore throat. We talk of you very often and I think of you still oftener. The two months will soon be gone, alas -- like other months.
Signature
Pater.
Citation
George Henry Lewes (and George Eliot), GHL and GE to Charles Lee Lewes, Florence, 5 May 1861, 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/94260