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Palace Hotel, Rome. - Very glad Elizabeth has found a suitable nurse; was sorry to see Nurse Withers has not yet found 'an infant' to go to; it has all been very troublesome, and 'the little scamp' [Julian] will never know. Hopes the new nurse will be firm with him; does not think Nurse Withers had any 'personal influence'. Caroline is recovering quickly; she still coughs and cannot do much, but has 'insisted' on going out once a day since the weather is 'glorious'; they went to the Forum yesterday morning, and today plans to go out for a drive and walk after lunch. They have a 'nice "apartment"' on the fifth floor with a fine view. Mrs Severn writes to ask if Elizabeth 'would be interested in a young lady violinist'; Caroline is sure she will not, but encloses Mrs Severn's letter anyway [no longer present]. The concerts are over. Glad Mr [Donald] Tovey is well; hopes 'the great [Sophie] Weisse is behaving more easily'. Aunt Annie [Philips] enjoyed her visit to Elizabeth and thought Julian looked well. Robert will soon be back; hopes Mr and Mrs [Gordon] Bottomley are 'comfortably settled', and asks if Bottomley is better than last year. She and Sir George expect Charles and Mary, who are staying at a small hotel nearby, on Friday; is disappointed that she will not be able to 'scold' Mary for 'doing too much, and making herself ill' as she supposes she has done the same. Asks her to tell Robert they are glad he went to Casa Magni [the Shelleys home at San Terenzo, Lerici]; the three poets [Bob, Abercrombie and Gibson] 'should all have written a poem on it, that evening!'.

Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad Elizabeth liked the things [presents?]; amused to hear about St Nicholas Eve in Holland; hopes she has a happy Christmas in her old house and that her aunt is a little better. Tells her to write every week while abroad. She and Sir George are staying at Wallington till 9 Jan; will keep Elizabeth informed of their plans. Sir George is 'working steadily' and keeping well; he is re-reading Mary Shelley's life aloud to her, which is 'so amusing & curious'. Hope the violin lessons continue to be satisfactory, and that Elizabeth's sister and Mr [Julius Engelbert] Röntgen will think her improved. Sends regards to Jan [Hubrecht]; wishes they could see him, but it is too far for him to come in the dark of winter. Next week they will have a Christmas tree, and the Arthur Sidgwicks are coming after Christmas Day.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - Was glad to hear his parents had reached Rome on Saturday, and that his mother is well again; hopes she will now 'keep well', and that they are having good weather. Reached home on Wednesday, and found Bessie and Julian well. The 'nurse problem' seems to have been solved 'quite happily': Julian 'seems to take to the new nurse, and she seems a strong, sensible young woman'. The Bottomleys are staying with them, and are 'cheerful guests'.

Had a 'wonderful five days at Aulla with his friends [Lascelles Abercrombie and W. W. Gibson] at [Aubrey] Waterfield's castle'; thinks it is the 'finest country' he knows in Italy, 'or anywhere almost'. They went one day to Lerici and visited the Casa Magni [the Shelleys' house]; some 'quite terrible houses' have recently been built just beyond it, but 'the bay is too lovely to be really spoiled'. They walked three miles south along the coast to Fiascherino, 'a tiny village where a friend was staying', which was 'as beautiful as anything I have seen on the rocky part of the Mediterranean coast, in France or Italy'. Then they walked back about four or five miles over the hills to catch the train at Sarzana.

His parents will have Charles and Molly with them by now; sends them his love. Bessie saw them in London the day he returned; he fears they 'had a stormy crossing', as he did. Bessie says she will write to Caroline tomorrow; he expects 'chiefly about the new nurse', who came yesterday. Julian woke up at five this morning and asked her to light a candle, as he said he wanted to 'see her face'. Then he said "' Yes, I like your face. That's all right. You can put the candle out now, and try to go to sleep again'. He 'certainly seems satisfied with her, and so does Bessie so far'. Sends love to his mother.

Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Elizabeth seems to have had more snow than they have at Welcombe. Will be very good to see her and Robert again; asks if they will stop a night on the way through London, or prefer to get home then come after they are settled. Is thinking of hosting 'a weekly dinner on Tuesdays in March, & a "small & early for MP's & young people afterwards'; Elizabeth and Robert must come to one. Henry James arrived last night and is 'most amusing & delightful on his American experiences'. Audrey T[revelyan] and the Bells are coming today. She and Sir George go to London on 23 February. Will give Elizabeth her club subscription when she returns; she will then have to make enquiries about which is the best club and change next year; Caroline thinks the Gr[osvenor] Cr[escent] club has 'become very common & inferior'. Is glad Elizabeth saw Shelley's villa; the coast where Byron burnt his body is 'wierd [sic] & beautiful too'. Asks if she has read Mrs Shelley's "Life" of her husband, which Caroline thinks is better than [Edward] Dowden's. Mary has had to give up nursing Pauline, having done too much over the election and got run down. Charlie has accepted the position of Parliamentary Charity Commissioner, which is unpaid and not much work, but 'keeps him "in the running"'.

Cowes. - Ill health; returning to Pimlico shortly; previous Government allowed [David] Booth £100 but Sir Robert Peel has mistakenly granted only £50. £40 from Literary Fund gives some ease but will soon run out; will Milnes seek early payment of deficit from Peel. Dickens, Blewitt and others secured original sum from Melbourne.

Mrs Booth sends enclosed proofs of Lord Melbourne’s intended payment [to David Booth]; Peel believed he was matching the figure as Mr Booth’s son only asked for £50. Quotes Mrs Booth on interest of Milnes and his father in her husband’s work. The Booths are penniless.

Requests return of enclosed document: letter from Francis, Lord Jeffrey [written in 3rd person] to Mr Place, 8 Hinde Street. - encloses Lord Melbourne’s answer to Memorial of David Booth; more funds may be needed in future [2 ff.]

Grand Hotel de la Cloche, Dijon. - Glad to hear from Robert about [Henry] Jackson and Vernon Lushington, and about the reading at Harrow; good that it 'is so much out of Macaulay'. Has just finished Cicero's "Tusculan Disputations", and likes him increasingly; he 'supplies a need' which, at Sir George's current age, no-one else does. Liked Robert's article in the "Review'. Had a very interesting evening at Geneva: always thinks that the 'most wonderful combination of young genius... without an atom of pretention' was when Byron, Shelley, Mary Godwin, and [Claire Clairemont] were living on Lake Geneva [in 1816]; mentions 'amusing' letters from Byron to Hobhouse; he and Caroline were allowed to see all over the Villa Diodati since the occupants were away; Caroline has sketched both the Villa and Shelley's house nearby. It was as interesting as Keats's and the Brawnes' villa at Hampstead, but much more beautiful. Will be home on Saturday.