GHL to Barbara [Mme Eugene] Bodichon, London, [27 February 1878]
Title
GHL to Barbara [Mme Eugene] Bodichon, London, [27 February 1878]
Title
GHL to Barbara [Mme Eugene] Bodichon, London, [27 February 1878]
Sender
George Henry Lewes
Recipient
Barbara [Mme Eugene] Bodichon
Date(s)
- 1878-02-27
Place
London
Letter Content
GHL to Barbara [Mme Eugene] Bodichon, London, [27 February 1878]
MS: Yale.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
Dear Bar
No! it was no inspiration of mine that prompted the good Hall 418 but his own thoughtful heart. All I did was to give him your address.
Your niece says nothing of your health so we take the [no news good news] interpretation as most pleasant to us.
We are shaky. Madonna has been suffering from colds and sore throat and I from constant headaches. For all that we have been gay and gadding and "the cry is still they come." 419
On the 6th we dined with Lady Colvile, 420 on the 7th I dined with Sir H. Thompson (one of his octave dinners -- Trollope, Alma Tadema, Burton, Jeaffreson, 421 Leslie Stephen, and Sir F. Pollock). On the 9th at the concert the Princess Louise, having first bowed to us, told the Princess of Wales and the Princess Christian, 422 who all the rest of the time were carefully inspecting her; and the next Saturday while I was speaking to Neruda 423 Mrs. Baring 424 came and told me the Princess Christian desired I should be presented to her. This was done. We had a brief and trivial talk, mainly about George Eliot. On the 12 we lunched at Lord Houghtons -- present Kinglake, Browning, Morris, the Bruces, Lady Galway, Sir C. Dilke and Mrs. Moulton, an American poetess. 425 -- capital stories!
On the 16th we had a small dinner party -- present Lady Claud Hamilton, the Tyndalls, the Bowens, and Sir Lewis Pelly -- went off capitally.
On the 20th a [drum] at Hamilton Aid'e9s -- at which Fanny Kemble and Lady Salisbury were the two to whom we mostly talked, but there were also others -- old and new -- and some good recitation by Miss Genevi'e8ve Ward, who also talks very well.
On Sunday our new acquaintance Moritz 426 the Hungarian tragedian gave us a scene from Othello -- (I reading Iago) and last Monday evening he went through the part with us alone, to see whether we approved of his conception and execution. He is a very interesting fellow as you may imagine from this exclamation at the end of our long rehearsal -- "Oh I feel I know so little -- but in 10 years I shall be able to play Othello" -- He is to give a performance on Saturday morning at the Queen's -- I hope it will be a success.
The great event is to come off tomorrow -- the marriage of Lionel Tennyson to Eleanor Locker at Westminter Abbey. I tremble somewhat at the prospect of the cold Abbey with Madonna's throat in its present state -- otherwise the scene will be very interesting.
Much love is sent to you
Ever yours
G. H. L.
MS: Yale.
The Priory, | 21. North Bank, | Regents Park.
Dear Bar
No! it was no inspiration of mine that prompted the good Hall 418 but his own thoughtful heart. All I did was to give him your address.
Your niece says nothing of your health so we take the [no news good news] interpretation as most pleasant to us.
We are shaky. Madonna has been suffering from colds and sore throat and I from constant headaches. For all that we have been gay and gadding and "the cry is still they come." 419
On the 6th we dined with Lady Colvile, 420 on the 7th I dined with Sir H. Thompson (one of his octave dinners -- Trollope, Alma Tadema, Burton, Jeaffreson, 421 Leslie Stephen, and Sir F. Pollock). On the 9th at the concert the Princess Louise, having first bowed to us, told the Princess of Wales and the Princess Christian, 422 who all the rest of the time were carefully inspecting her; and the next Saturday while I was speaking to Neruda 423 Mrs. Baring 424 came and told me the Princess Christian desired I should be presented to her. This was done. We had a brief and trivial talk, mainly about George Eliot. On the 12 we lunched at Lord Houghtons -- present Kinglake, Browning, Morris, the Bruces, Lady Galway, Sir C. Dilke and Mrs. Moulton, an American poetess. 425 -- capital stories!
On the 16th we had a small dinner party -- present Lady Claud Hamilton, the Tyndalls, the Bowens, and Sir Lewis Pelly -- went off capitally.
On the 20th a [drum] at Hamilton Aid'e9s -- at which Fanny Kemble and Lady Salisbury were the two to whom we mostly talked, but there were also others -- old and new -- and some good recitation by Miss Genevi'e8ve Ward, who also talks very well.
On Sunday our new acquaintance Moritz 426 the Hungarian tragedian gave us a scene from Othello -- (I reading Iago) and last Monday evening he went through the part with us alone, to see whether we approved of his conception and execution. He is a very interesting fellow as you may imagine from this exclamation at the end of our long rehearsal -- "Oh I feel I know so little -- but in 10 years I shall be able to play Othello" -- He is to give a performance on Saturday morning at the Queen's -- I hope it will be a success.
The great event is to come off tomorrow -- the marriage of Lionel Tennyson to Eleanor Locker at Westminter Abbey. I tremble somewhat at the prospect of the cold Abbey with Madonna's throat in its present state -- otherwise the scene will be very interesting.
Much love is sent to you
Ever yours
G. H. L.
Signature
G. H. L.
Citation
George Henry Lewes, GHL to Barbara [Mme Eugene] Bodichon, London, [27 February 1878], 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/94901