GHL to John Blackwood, Florence, 28 May 1861
Title
GHL to John Blackwood, Florence, 28 May 1861
Title
GHL to John Blackwood, Florence, 28 May 1861
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
John Blackwood
Date(s)
- 1861-05-28
Place
Florence
Letter Content
GHL to John Blackwood, Florence, 28 May 1861
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Florence 28 May 1861.
My dear Blackwood,
Mrs. Lewes's last letter will have reached you shortly after you wrote yours. She is now lying down with a headache from heat and fatigue after an expedition we have paid to Pistoja in search of Tuscan antiquities and I cannot better employ my time than in thanking you for your prompt and pleasant letters. The opinion of such a man as White about Silas was as you anticipated, highly valued, indeed all expressions of sympathy and appreciation are both delight and stimulus to her.
She is "drinking in" Florence, and as far as the old past life can be restored she will, I am certain, restore it, if only from that wonderful intuition with which genius throws itself into all forms of life. As I often tell her most of the scenes and characters of her books are quite as historical to her direct personal experience, as the 15th century of Florence; and she knows infinitely more about Savonarola than she knew of Silas, besides having deep personal sympathies with the old reforming priest which she had not with the miser. Why is it that Shakspeare makes us believe in his Romans? Certainly not from any of those "solid acquirements" which would have made him a valuable contributor to Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, and earned the respect of the "Saturday Review."
The weather is very hot, and yet with occasional cold winds which keeps us both, especially yours truly, in a most disordered and disorderly condition. That however is not the reason why I have carried out none of my grand resolutions about articles; quite other! Had you seen the stock of paper and pens I brought with me, and could you but see the amount used thereof, you might draw some conclusions as to my industry which would not be flattering, and would be false. Idle? Not I. Only I haven't been working.
However now we are not far off Blandford Square, and then -- By the way as you have postponed your visit so long we shall in all probability see you in town, if you come; since we contemplate being back by the 16th or thereabouts and you will hardly stay less than three weeks in London. Though why a man who has a charming place in the country for summer must come rushing up to hot, noisy, gossiping intellectual London, I can't see. In this case perhaps egotism will make me see that a run up to London must be pleasant for you (because it will be pleasant for us to have you), but in any other case --!
We were glad to hear that Thornie made a pleasant impression. We are naturally very anxious about their development (which with boys is always an inscrutable mystery) and every indication that it is going on satisfactorily is cheering. Mrs. Lewes is as anxious about them as if they were her own boys; and it would interest you to see her with the eldest, who worships her, and thinks no treat equal to having her all to himself for an evening to make, and be made much of. Among the many blessings that have come to me late in life this of seeing the perfect love between her and the children is one of the greatest; perhaps because it was one of the rocks ahead. Having had no domestic life for many years I now have such domestic happiness as can be given to few.
Ever faithfully yours
G. H. Lewes.
We shall go to Berne by the 6th or 7th in case you should have anything to write about.
MS: National Library of Scotland. Hitherto unpublished.
Florence 28 May 1861.
My dear Blackwood,
Mrs. Lewes's last letter will have reached you shortly after you wrote yours. She is now lying down with a headache from heat and fatigue after an expedition we have paid to Pistoja in search of Tuscan antiquities and I cannot better employ my time than in thanking you for your prompt and pleasant letters. The opinion of such a man as White about Silas was as you anticipated, highly valued, indeed all expressions of sympathy and appreciation are both delight and stimulus to her.
She is "drinking in" Florence, and as far as the old past life can be restored she will, I am certain, restore it, if only from that wonderful intuition with which genius throws itself into all forms of life. As I often tell her most of the scenes and characters of her books are quite as historical to her direct personal experience, as the 15th century of Florence; and she knows infinitely more about Savonarola than she knew of Silas, besides having deep personal sympathies with the old reforming priest which she had not with the miser. Why is it that Shakspeare makes us believe in his Romans? Certainly not from any of those "solid acquirements" which would have made him a valuable contributor to Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography, and earned the respect of the "Saturday Review."
The weather is very hot, and yet with occasional cold winds which keeps us both, especially yours truly, in a most disordered and disorderly condition. That however is not the reason why I have carried out none of my grand resolutions about articles; quite other! Had you seen the stock of paper and pens I brought with me, and could you but see the amount used thereof, you might draw some conclusions as to my industry which would not be flattering, and would be false. Idle? Not I. Only I haven't been working.
However now we are not far off Blandford Square, and then -- By the way as you have postponed your visit so long we shall in all probability see you in town, if you come; since we contemplate being back by the 16th or thereabouts and you will hardly stay less than three weeks in London. Though why a man who has a charming place in the country for summer must come rushing up to hot, noisy, gossiping intellectual London, I can't see. In this case perhaps egotism will make me see that a run up to London must be pleasant for you (because it will be pleasant for us to have you), but in any other case --!
We were glad to hear that Thornie made a pleasant impression. We are naturally very anxious about their development (which with boys is always an inscrutable mystery) and every indication that it is going on satisfactorily is cheering. Mrs. Lewes is as anxious about them as if they were her own boys; and it would interest you to see her with the eldest, who worships her, and thinks no treat equal to having her all to himself for an evening to make, and be made much of. Among the many blessings that have come to me late in life this of seeing the perfect love between her and the children is one of the greatest; perhaps because it was one of the rocks ahead. Having had no domestic life for many years I now have such domestic happiness as can be given to few.
Ever faithfully yours
G. H. Lewes.
We shall go to Berne by the 6th or 7th in case you should have anything to write about.
Signature
G. H. Lewes.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to John Blackwood, Florence, 28 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/94598