Showing 15 results

Keston Lodge, Beckenham. - Pleased to get FitzGerald's letter; regrets that FitzGerald has not visited him in Chelsea for 'these many years'. Has been here for the last five weeks 'in the daintiest of little hermitages... alone with my niece and the pure breezes and charming woodlands, green knolls and hollows of lovely Kent'; the house has been provided by Lady Derby. Description of how he spends his time; recently drove over to Eltham to see the palace there, having been once many years ago with Godefroi Cavaignac 'to see poor Edgeworth, whom you will remember, who had nestled himself snugly enough in some corner of that huge ruin & whom we found duly with his little Spanish wife by unluckily no "Pupils". Looked for 'some trace... of poor Edgeworth and his nest, but, alas, could find nothing: that side of the palace had all been cobbled up and plastered over....' for some City businessman.

Carlyle and his niece intend to stay in Beckenham a little longer and will return to Chelsea when the weather breaks, Is very glad to hear of FitzGerald's 'sympathy with "Tooley" [Olaf Haraldsson]'; he and his cousin Olaf Tryggvason are a pair of 'chosen heroes' to Carlyle.

[Probably in the hand of Carlyle's niece Mary, but signed by him].

The Hill, Dumfries, N. B. [North Britain, i.e. Scotland]. - Regrets that their 'poor little enterprize [putting up a monument at Naseby] is definitively forbidden' to them. Knows that the time FitzGerald has spent on this 'cannot be repaid you, dear old friend, except by my pious thankfulness...', but asks him to tell him how much money he has spent so that he can pay half.

The day after tomorrow he and his 'blithe little niece' will leave here for Chelsea. Letter not in Carlyle's hand [perhaps his niece Mary's?] but signed by him.

24 Cheyne Row, Chelsea. - Apologizes for not answering his 'kind letter' sooner. Her uncle [Thomas Carlyle] has been more ill than she has ever seen him before for 'some weeks', but she is glad that he has now recovered and 'back into his old ways', except for being forced to drive out in the afternoon instead of taking his usual walk. They have hired a fly for the drives; he keeps on his dressing gown with a fur coat on top, and with 'hot water at his feet, he never will allow that the weather is cold even the mercury fall below the freezing point'. At home he reads, and she sometimes has trouble getting to go to bed at one or two in the morning.

He 'remembers Miss Crabbe very well'; wishes that FitzGerald had come to see him when 'so near'. She read [George Crabbe's] Tales of the Hall when around fifteen, though she 'did not understand them & as was natural found them dull*. Can 'read Scott very well', but is 'by no means an enthusiastic admirer'; her 'uncle's opinion has nothing to do with mine (!)' and he always tell her she should be ashamed to say she 'never could get to the end of Waverley, which fascinated him so much that he read it straight through almost at one sitting'.

Her uncle sends his 'kindest regards'.

Chelsea Rectory. - The monument [to her uncle Thomas Carlyle, to be situated on the Chelsea Embankment] is paid for, and the subscription list closed. There was enough to pay for all they wanted, and even a small surplus; this was given to the sculptor [Edgar Boehm] since he took on the work for less than usual due to his 'interest in the subject'.

23 Rudall Crescent, Hampstead. - Is sorry that she cannot find the FitzGerald he asks about; it is not with the 'drawings of Naseby', which she has safe. Would 'not like to say the letter is not here', since though she has to some extent got her uncle's papers arranged, but finds 'every day, in what neat confusion they are. It is not easy to get them into order when the rubbish as well as the valuable things of some seventy years are neatly docketted in paper bags'; her uncle seems to have destroyed nothing and she does not like to destroy what he has preserved. Will send the letter on if she finds it.

23 Rudall Crescent, Hampstead. - Will be happy to forward the letters of Edward FitzGerald; asks whether she should send them to Beccles or Cambridge.

Allington Lodge, Merton, Surrey. - On the recent move from Cheyne Row; her children; her husband's school. Has been 'trying to arrange and copy' her uncle [Thomas]'s letters, so that when 'Mr Froude gives up the remainder of them and everybody has finished writing his little "Articles" about him they may be all correctly printed (without almost any notes or comments) & allowed to speake for themselves. Knows little about the 'matter of the statue [of Thomas Carlyle] on the Embankment'; has written to the Rector of Chelsea [Gerald Blunt] asking whether the subscription list is closed, and will send his reply on to FitzGerald. Postscript saying she encloses Mr Blunt's letter [Add.MS.a/6/45].

Concerning publication of Thomas Carlyle's memoir of Jane Carlyle.

Replying to Mary Carlyle's letter of the previous day.

Condemning the publication by J. A. Froude of Thomas Carlyle's manuscript notebook on Jane Carlyle.