GHL to His Sons, Naples, 6 May 1860
Title
GHL to His Sons, Naples, 6 May 1860
Title
GHL to His Sons, Naples, 6 May 1860
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
His Sons
Date(s)
- 1860-05-06
Place
Naples
Letter Content
GHL to His Sons, Naples, 6 May 1860
MS: Yale.
Naples Sunday 6 May 1860.
My dear Pups
We left Rome on Sunday last and have been vastly enjoying the lovely weather and incomparable scenery of this place. To see Naples and die -- is the proverb. We are seeing Naples, but have no immediate intention of dying either hair or whiskers, for all the proverbs in Europe. It is in vain to hope to squeeze into a letter all or half that we have seen at Rome and this place; but I will just jot down a few items and leave your vivid imaginations to fill the picture.
While at Rome we visited Frascati, and ascended, by the aid of jogging donkeys, to Tusculum 505 -- or rather to the ruins of that ancient and famous site, which Roman History and Horace have doubtless made familiar to you. It is a lovely spot, with an exquisite view of the campagna, and all the hills -- Mount Algidus, Soracte, Monte Cavo, the Alban hills, Castel
Gandolfo etc. From thence we saw the Lake Regillus. On another day we went to Tivoli, 506 famous for its beautiful waterfalls, its Temple of the Sybil, and its scenery. The morning was lovely when we started but we had not traversed much of the Campagna before it grew threatening and cloudy, and on reaching Tivoli (through a beautiful grove of olive trees) down came the rain, which had been coming down almost daily all the time we were at Rome -- and down it poured while we explored the valley and gazed at the waterfalls. But disagreeable as the rain made the expedition, there was so much beauty, that we enjoyed it on the whole very much.
Here at Naples we have visited Pozzuoli, Baiae, Cumae, Misenum, Posilippo, and Pompeii. The day at the last named place was one I shall never forget. Imagine the delight of finding yourself in the long silent streets of the ancient city so recently dug up -- the very marks of the Roman chariots on the pavement being still as they were worn away nearly 1800 years ago -- and the signs on the shop fronts reminding you of today. Everywhere at the end of each street you see the rich hills around, and the deep blue sky above. The houses, Temples, Forum, and Theatres, are many of them in excellent preservation, the paintings and arabesques on the walls being often well preserved and very graceful. All the utensils and objects have been removed into the Naples Museum, where we have examined them with intense interest, but they would have added greatly to the effect if they could with safety have been left where found. For example in the baker's shop they found a loaf with his name printed on it, an oven, yeast, etc. But these must be seen at Naples now.
Tomorrow we start for Salerno, Paestum, Amalfi, and Sorrento, and shall start for Florence on Tuesday week, so you must address your letters to Florence, Poste Restante.
I hope, dear Charlie, you have not forgotten to let your hair grow, and that we shall find you blooming. And you too, Bertie, must present yourself to your mother in splendid condition. As for Thornie -- but I have a special postscript to address to him in answer to his last letter.
Well Thornie! in the first place I have to "pick a crow with you" about that gun story. I was sorry to find that you did not appreciate what I said about its not being right, and only replied to what I added as a secondary reason, about its not being prudent. I thought that the mere mention of its not being right would have sufficed. You must bear in mind that so long as you are an inmate of Dr. M'fcller's house, so long you must conform to his rules and wishes, and any attempt to evade or violate them is morally wrong. For observe, suppose an accident should happen -- of course you intend to be very careful, but accidents constantly happen even with men -- and then consider what an injury you would have inflicted on Dr. M'fcller, merely, because it was at his school that a boy was shot! Dr. M'fcller would really have been blameless, but the responsibility would nevertheless be borne by him, and people would say he ought to have taken care that no gun was kept by boys.
Enough of this unpleasant topic, and now for stamps. 507 Enclosed you will find a complete set of Neapolitan stamps which I got at the post office (one of them stamps this letter) but you misled me about the Roman stamp of uno soldo. I inquired at the Post and they had only 'bd baj. or 2 quattrini which I had already sent you. The one you say was received by a boy must have come from one of the Roman states, as uno soldo is not Roman, but means a sou or bajoso. If I can pick up any of the stamps you mention be sure I shall.
I am surprised to hear that the books have not arrived yet. I would advise you Thornie to drop a line to Dr. E. Brockhaus, Leipsig saying that Tr'fcbner undertook to forward it to him for Hofwyl in March last, and asking him if he has addressed it on to Bern, and to whom.
And now dear boys it is time to dress for dinner, but as I have pretty well exhausted my budget I can afford to end this. Your mother sends showers of kisses -- she is very well -- but I am only so, so. God bless you my dear boys
Ever your loving
Pater.
MS: Yale.
Naples Sunday 6 May 1860.
My dear Pups
We left Rome on Sunday last and have been vastly enjoying the lovely weather and incomparable scenery of this place. To see Naples and die -- is the proverb. We are seeing Naples, but have no immediate intention of dying either hair or whiskers, for all the proverbs in Europe. It is in vain to hope to squeeze into a letter all or half that we have seen at Rome and this place; but I will just jot down a few items and leave your vivid imaginations to fill the picture.
While at Rome we visited Frascati, and ascended, by the aid of jogging donkeys, to Tusculum 505 -- or rather to the ruins of that ancient and famous site, which Roman History and Horace have doubtless made familiar to you. It is a lovely spot, with an exquisite view of the campagna, and all the hills -- Mount Algidus, Soracte, Monte Cavo, the Alban hills, Castel
Gandolfo etc. From thence we saw the Lake Regillus. On another day we went to Tivoli, 506 famous for its beautiful waterfalls, its Temple of the Sybil, and its scenery. The morning was lovely when we started but we had not traversed much of the Campagna before it grew threatening and cloudy, and on reaching Tivoli (through a beautiful grove of olive trees) down came the rain, which had been coming down almost daily all the time we were at Rome -- and down it poured while we explored the valley and gazed at the waterfalls. But disagreeable as the rain made the expedition, there was so much beauty, that we enjoyed it on the whole very much.
Here at Naples we have visited Pozzuoli, Baiae, Cumae, Misenum, Posilippo, and Pompeii. The day at the last named place was one I shall never forget. Imagine the delight of finding yourself in the long silent streets of the ancient city so recently dug up -- the very marks of the Roman chariots on the pavement being still as they were worn away nearly 1800 years ago -- and the signs on the shop fronts reminding you of today. Everywhere at the end of each street you see the rich hills around, and the deep blue sky above. The houses, Temples, Forum, and Theatres, are many of them in excellent preservation, the paintings and arabesques on the walls being often well preserved and very graceful. All the utensils and objects have been removed into the Naples Museum, where we have examined them with intense interest, but they would have added greatly to the effect if they could with safety have been left where found. For example in the baker's shop they found a loaf with his name printed on it, an oven, yeast, etc. But these must be seen at Naples now.
Tomorrow we start for Salerno, Paestum, Amalfi, and Sorrento, and shall start for Florence on Tuesday week, so you must address your letters to Florence, Poste Restante.
I hope, dear Charlie, you have not forgotten to let your hair grow, and that we shall find you blooming. And you too, Bertie, must present yourself to your mother in splendid condition. As for Thornie -- but I have a special postscript to address to him in answer to his last letter.
Well Thornie! in the first place I have to "pick a crow with you" about that gun story. I was sorry to find that you did not appreciate what I said about its not being right, and only replied to what I added as a secondary reason, about its not being prudent. I thought that the mere mention of its not being right would have sufficed. You must bear in mind that so long as you are an inmate of Dr. M'fcller's house, so long you must conform to his rules and wishes, and any attempt to evade or violate them is morally wrong. For observe, suppose an accident should happen -- of course you intend to be very careful, but accidents constantly happen even with men -- and then consider what an injury you would have inflicted on Dr. M'fcller, merely, because it was at his school that a boy was shot! Dr. M'fcller would really have been blameless, but the responsibility would nevertheless be borne by him, and people would say he ought to have taken care that no gun was kept by boys.
Enough of this unpleasant topic, and now for stamps. 507 Enclosed you will find a complete set of Neapolitan stamps which I got at the post office (one of them stamps this letter) but you misled me about the Roman stamp of uno soldo. I inquired at the Post and they had only 'bd baj. or 2 quattrini which I had already sent you. The one you say was received by a boy must have come from one of the Roman states, as uno soldo is not Roman, but means a sou or bajoso. If I can pick up any of the stamps you mention be sure I shall.
I am surprised to hear that the books have not arrived yet. I would advise you Thornie to drop a line to Dr. E. Brockhaus, Leipsig saying that Tr'fcbner undertook to forward it to him for Hofwyl in March last, and asking him if he has addressed it on to Bern, and to whom.
And now dear boys it is time to dress for dinner, but as I have pretty well exhausted my budget I can afford to end this. Your mother sends showers of kisses -- she is very well -- but I am only so, so. God bless you my dear boys
Ever your loving
Pater.
Signature
Pater.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to His Sons, Naples, 6 May 1860, 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/94564