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10 Prinsegracht, The Hague; addressed to Bob at Pension Palumbo, Ravello, preso d'Amalfi, Italia. - Bob's first letter from Ravello arrived yesterday; it arrived just as she was going to the dentist and gave her strength to stand all the treatment; at the end she 'nearly hugged the doctor'. Bob's quotation from Chaucer is 'charming'; hopes he will never need complain of his 'wyve's cussedness'. She got the proofs for her photos yesterday and is quite pleased with them: 'the one without the eye glasses is almost pretty'; will send them to Bob's mother and Bob himself. Writes on the 14th to say that she went to hear a rehearsal the day before 'more worth than last time'; heard an ouverture by Chabrier, 'an empty French piece of music', then Beethoven's second symphony to her 'great delight'. Then she heard Bob's 'friend [Frederic?] Lamond' play the Tchaikowsky piano concerto, and admired his playing but did not care much for the piece. Was sitting with a Russian lady, Madame de Rhemen, who is married to a Dutch Baron and 'a great swell... and a would-be patroniser and enthusiast for musical life at the Hague', 'very clever & intellectual.... though narrow-minded and hard in her opinions'. She 'fascinated Tuttie [Maria Hubrecht] at one time' until 'the tables were turned' and Tuttie became rather tired of her, and 'taken up with her American friend [Maud Howard]', it was 'such a comedy'; now Bessie thinks the feelings on both sides have 'fallen rather flat'. Her husband is 'a dry stolid old Dutchman', and the marriage not happy. Had not seen her since the summer; she wanted to hear all about Bob; is going to dine with her on Saturday then go to a music recital. Another old Russian lady, the Comtesse de Bylandt, came to sit with them; told Bessie she had lived twenty years in England, knows Bob's parents, and knew his grandfather very well. Returned home and took down some 'dull' dictation for her uncle [Paul François Hubrecht]. [Her brother-in-law Julius Engelbert] Röntgen writes that the family are all pleased with their new sister, except Johannes 'who began to howl when the baby was shown to him'. Is very cross that a letter from her sister [Abrahamina] inviting her to come to hear a chamber concert on Saturday only reached her yesterday; she could have played to [Bram] Eldering and got some preliminary advice, as he is too busy to start her lessons before January.

Gredel Guye is coming again on Friday, as her oral examination is on Saturday; remembers the day of her last visit, which was when Bob had his interview with her uncle. Had a strange dream last night in which 'some curious law' forced her to marry someone else, she thinks Mr Eldering, and woke with great relief. Got Bob's father's "Life of Macauley" from the library recently (they only have that, his "American Revolution", and Bob's brother George's book ["England in the Age of Wycliffe, 1368–1520"]. Macauley's life looks 'very interesting'; has glanced through and seen a letter of his to his sister Margaret about his other sister [Hannah]'s marriage to Bob's grandfather, speaking very highly of him. Agrees that she must read [Theodor] Mommsen, as Bob said at Taormina, to see whether he can inspire with 'the true love of history' she has never possessed. Happy thoughts about her feelings for Bob and their marriage. Now going to stay with her cousin Louise Hubrecht again at Leiden; is taking her [Bob's] "Mallow and Asphodel" as she asked to see it.

Expresses his gratitude to Sidgwick for helping them to find a chemist to fill the chair. In relation to the [Solonian] Classification, reports that he has '[some notions], but not sufficiently clear.' Refers to the Polity of Athens [by Pseudo-Xenophon] in relation to the Solonian Classes. Claims to have found 'a most important piece of evidence form the statement of Solon's reform of the coinage and weights', and believes that when 'all the fuss about the text and [Kenyon]'s blunders is over', they may get some 'good new stuff' out of it. Reports that he got the [ ] on which the Census of the Solonian Constitution was based, and claims that 'it is not land as Mommsen supposed on the analogy of the Hide, but Cattle, as at Syracuse in the time of Dionysius.'

Announces the loss of the borrowed Trinity College MS O.4.36 in his house fire, which consisted of the text of Jordanes' early history of the Goths, and texts of the Antonine itinerary, and Aethici Cosmographia.

56/14/2: Letter in German from Theodor Mommsen to Georg Friedrich von Bunsen, 31 Jul. 1873.

Hotel & Pension Palumbo, Ravello, preso Amalfi. - She will see he did not need to 'test out the prudence and orderliness of his mind', as she instructed: he has almost finished Elizabeth's paper, but knew there would be plenty at 'so well-appointed a hotel as the Pension Palumbo'; expects Mrs [Helen] Fry has written to her again; has brought a strop, and also a new razor as he left his at the Hague. Hopes her photographs come out well; she must send one; he will get himself photographed on his return, meanwhile she has the drawing of him and the photograph from Taormina. Glad she had good music to 'compensate for her sufferings on Friday'; expects she will soon go to Amsterdam to see her new [violin] teacher [Bram Eldering]. Glad her 'translation ordeal' is over; reassures her that she must not worry about telling him little details: he likes learning how she lives, and she has 'the gift of making trifling events interesting'. Quotes [Hilaire Belloc's] "Book of Beasts" on "The Whale"; wonders how long '[Ambrosius] Hubrecht's whale' is, and how it will be taken to Utrecht; supposes it will have to be towed along the canal. Has not received the American speech. Honoured that she is dreaming about him; will try to 'live worthily of one who has been inside [her] head at night-time'.

Has been answering her letter [9/14] 'point by point'; little to say about herself as he has been 'pent up' by the rain since his arrival; fears it will be at least a week before the woods are dry enough for him to work there, but will have Mrs Reid's garden as soon as it is fair and some other places. Did not see Mrs Reid yesterday when he called as she was ill, only her companion Miss Allan, of whom Elizabeth need not be jealous: the Frys used to call her 'the grenadier', she is 'much too old' for Robert, though nice and good to talk to occasionally; Mrs Reid is 'a dear'. Has been reading Mommsen, which he likes 'better than almost any novel' and which makes him feel 'history is the only thing worth writing'; however, few people write it like Mommsen. Has also been re-reading [John Bunyan's] "Pilgrim's Progress" and liking it more than ever; those, with Chaucer and Sophocles, are his 'daily bread' until the storms are over, but Elizabeth is his 'wine'. Cannot 'quite put into words what it is... to have someone to whom [he] can and wish[es] to say everything that comes into [his] head'; has had many friends but always felt 'reserved in certain directions' in a way he does not with Elizabeth; makes him feel 'so much less lonely' than he has often done; will listen to and understand her as she will him. Is 'not afraid of marriage, in spite of Chaucer, and other pessimists'. Knows he 'linger[s] out his goodbye' as he used to do at her door in the evening; used to 'wish to run off' with her as she peeped round the door.