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'Please to give Bearer a copy of Darien for Mr Monckton Milnes'.

Junior U[nited] S[ervices] Club - London. - There is still 'reasonable ground of hope' [that his brother Eliot Warburton survived the sinking of of the Amazon in the Bay of Biscay on 4 Jan. 1852]; knows his brother 'was completely dressed on the deck, calm and collected', having heard from Mr [Frederick] Glennie, a passenger already rescued who knew him well. His brother's wife and their sister are here at 23 Savile Row, and 'full of hope, the suspence [sic], however, is little less dreadful than the last certainty'. Knows Milnes will sympathize with them in 'the time of bitter trial'.

Pencil number '2' added on first page.

Oxford. - Has 'sought vainly' among his brother Eliot's possessions for something he might send as a memorial of him to Milnes, 'but the very few personal matters he possessed perished with him in the Amazon'. Asks if Milnes will accept something accompanied by this letter; had 'two or three to be made for his friends, whom I knew he held to his heart most deeply; had I sent them in the order he would have wished, I know you should have had it before anybody else, but I was anxious to make sure of your being in town'.

Dingle Cottage, Ledbury. - Today received 'the cleverly executed miniature which certainly does recall one expression of that most dear countenance [her late husband Eliot Warburton]'. Did not think 'so good a likeness could be produced'. Recognises the added interest the portrait has 'coming to me from the hands of his two best friends'; gratefully accepts the gift 'in memory of an affection which followed my husband through life' and as evidence of continued friendliness towards herself. Is going to stay with her brother-in-law George Warburton and his wife when they are settled in Kent, and will pass through London, but is unsure whether she will see Milnes there, but will certainly 'obey the summons whenever you tell me again "to come and see you in Yorkshire"'. Asks to be remembered to Milnes' wife; will not 'forget her Orphans but all my people will belong to the wrong Asylum'.

Pencil number '2' added on first page.

Transcript

Dec. 5

Dearest A {1}

This is merely a P.S. to my last notelet to beg you to give my sweet & "blessed little Florey" an extra kiss from poor Anty Ett on her birthday,—; & to beg Richee's {2} acceptance, (ultimately for her) of my Copy of the Hungerfordiana, which he told me the other day he had been trying to procure & could not—

There were never more than 100 Copies printed—only 50 for sale—now six & thirty years ago—so no wonder.

He is to keep it, please, for his beautiful little Florey, as she alone bears the dear dear old name.

Neither Amy nor Robin have anything to say to it!—

I trust the sweet Rob does not feel these changes of temperature, & that you are all "flourishing"—

God bless you, my dearest—Yr most devoted
HMC.—

—————

{1} Followed by a heart containing the letters 'a', 'F', and 'R', for Amy, Florence, and Robin.

{2} The spelling of this name is uncertain.

3 Bolton St. - Thanks Lord Houghton for his note about the book [The American]; agrees that 'the Bellegardes are rather "belated". They would have been more probable under the old régime; but I suppose a novelist has always to force matters a little. But even to modified Bellegardes an American savoring much of the soil would never have been acceptable. The French don't at all like the Americans (according to my observation) - none, that is, save M. [Charles Frederick] Worth; & he, I believe, is English!. But the French, after all, don't like any one but the French!...'

Hopes that Houghton has completely recovered. Will leave town in a few days, but will visit Houghton before he does so. 'Yours faithfully & gratefully, H. James jr.'

On embossed notepaper of East India United Service Club. - Has 'found the original copy [of the omitted appendix 4, two pages of which appear in this book in print form, the rest in manuscript by an unknown hand], also a slip from Longman's'. Milnes can now judge if he thinks it interesting, as Burton does. Will return from Germany in about a month and get Milnes' opinion on reprinting it.