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Marked ‘Revise and 1st Proof’.

Numbered 7.

Numbered 6.

Engraved by W. S. Wilkinson, from a drawing by William Twopeny.

(Place of writing not indicated.)—The writer has portraits of Miss Berry and her sister (perhaps those on f. 6r). Discusses the administration of Miss Berry’s papers.

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Private

Dear Mr Milnes

You asked me about early pictures of Miss Berry. I forgot, that I possess a portrait both of her and Miss Agnes

I shewed them to Miss B. (they were bought by my Father or Brother) at a Sale 30 Years ago {1}, she said that either Lord Orford or somebody left them with the Artist after they were finished not liking them but I forgot the Artists Name

if you call you may see them without going up stairs

I hear Mr Greville {2} has something to do with the papers as well as that old Ninny Sir F. Lewis {3} | Lady Scott | Lady Stuart | and Myself

The Persons who have perhaps the best right to an Opinion think the best thing would be to burn Journal and Letters it is very odd I think that no one has spoken to me on the Subject who is in possession of the M.S. I mean.

Old Lewis would like the job of publication after having amused {4} who ever chose to see private Letters to and from living people. I say to as Miss B. kept brouillons of her letters.

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{1} The closing bracket probably belongs here rather than after ‘Brother’.

{2} Charles Greville, to whom Miss Berry once expressed an intention of leaving her papers. See Extracts, vol. i, pp. ix–x.

{3} Sir Thomas Frankland Lewis, to whom Miss Berry bequeathed her papers. See Extracts, vol. i, p. ix. He died in 1855.

{4} Reading uncertain.

20 Marlborough Square, Chelsea.—Praises Milnes’s poem in The Times on the funeral of Miss Berry, and encloses some poems of his own.

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20 Marlbro Sq | Chelsea
1 Dec 1852

My dear Sir

It is not the first time I have had the pleasure of addressing you, having formerly sent to you a small Vol the feeble effort of my Muse, “Spring Buds 1844”[,] {1} and also some lines on the Coronation of Her present Majesty. I merely allude to these trifles by way of preface & recalling to your recollection my former correspondence. But the object of my present writing is to express to you my most cordial thanks for the gratification I yesterday derived from reading your simple but touching Poem on the funeral of Miss Berry. 27 Nov 1852. in the Times[.] I know not indeed when I have perused (in recent days) a Poem that has so pleased me Descriptive—simple, solemn—earnest, philosophic—Christian[—]every thing that could be desired[.] If people & poets would but only feel as you express yourself how much of real Poetry if we had but eyes to see & hearts to feel of there is in our every day path & how flowers & affection might be bid to bloom in many a spot now flat, stale, underprofitable but, thank GOD, there are still left on the Earth some few (though but few I fear) who appreciate the gifts of heaven in Patience, Providence, and Grace; that you my dear Sir may long be spared to adorn our Literature and our Senate is the very sincere wish of

Yours very sincerely
Saml Shepherd F.S.A.

PS. I have taken the liberty of enclosing with this hurried but hearty scrawl—two or three Sonnets & Poems I have recently composed. One on the loss of our great Duke {2} & a small Poetical tribute to the Memory of the late talented Dr. G. A. Mantell.

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{1} ‘“Spring Buds 1844”’ is interlined.

{2} The Duke of Wellington, who had died on 14 September.

7 Fitzroy Square, (London).—She and her husband are grateful for Mr Milnes’s tribute to Miss Berry (i.e. his poem on her funeral).

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7. Fitzroy Square
Decr. 2. 1852.

Dear Mrs Milnes

Instead of trusting to the slender chance of finding you at home on occasion of a call I venture to write & tell you how grateful Sir Chas. & I feel, in company with many others, to Mr. Milnes for his most beautiful tribute to the venerated Miss Berry.

He has spoken the language of all our hearts, & I feel convinced that each who knew Miss Berry must feel as if a sweet & sacred duty had been fulfilled for them—& fulfilled exactly as each could wish—& as none other could have done—Pray tell Mr. Milnes this—truly my heart seems lightened by his lines—

Hoping that yourself & your little daughter are well whose christening I was sorry not to be able to congratulate you on I beg to remain

Your’s truly
Eliz. Eastlake

(Place of writing not indicated.)—Praises his lines in The Times (on the funeral of Miss Berry).

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tuesday Morning

My dear Mr Milnes

I cannot resist telling you with how much pleasure I have just read some lines in the Times to the memory of our late lamented friends of Curzon Street. They are an act of justice to the objects of their praise, doing, in my humble judgement, honor† to the talents and fellings of their author. I cannot, of course, presume to decypher the hieroglyphics which follow the concluding stanza, but if you know any one, whose name bears the initials of R. M. M. I beg you will assure him of my warmest sympathy.

I hope we are to have the pleasure of seeing you at dinner today.

Sincerely your’s
Stratford de Re[dcliffe] {1}

R. M. Milnes Esqr. M.P. {2}

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{1} The rest of the name is hidden where the letter is pasted to the leaf of the volume.

{2} This direction is at the foot of the first page.

† Sic.

16 Serjeants Inn, (London).—Milnes's verses (see the previous item) will appear tomorrow.

34 Hertford Street, W.—Praises his article on Miss Berry in the Quarterly Review.

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34 Hertford St: W.
Wednesday 24 Janry 1866

My dear Lord Houghton.

I can’t resist writing to you, to tell you how much pleasure yr. article on Miss Berry in the Quarty. Revw. has given me—It is so true in all that regards Her Character—& the cause of the great agreeability (and Comfortable agreeability) of Her House! one never knew exactly, why, One was happier in her Salon than elsewhere—for often the People were common place enough—though at other times brilliant—but she and poor Agnes (whom Lord Dover called the wrong side of the Tapestry) had the talent of relivening one’s individual self—and one felt that one was pleasant oneself if nobody else was! This feeling died with 8 Curzon St.!!

I will not plague you with any more prose but with my Love to Annabel and thanks for her Letter

Yours sincerely
Caroline Duff Gordon

When all was over & the Scene dropped in Curzon St. I very much wished to persuade Many of her oldest friends who knew Her early Life—and all who had known Her latterly—to write their feelings & estimate of Her character—and of the society in which she delighted to dwell—& then for some one (I wished Lady Morley) to form these sketches to make a Book—no one, would listen to me—I only wrote my own knowlege† (from 1812 to the time of their Death with the exception of the Years 3½ that I spent in Spain from the end of 1813 to 1817—so this (besides my real love for them) gives me a double feeling in all that is now written about Her.

CDS

A true Woman’s PS—longer than the real Letter—scusi

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† Sic.

India Office.—Queries the identification of a character in Cyril Thornton with General O’Hara.

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India Office.
Jan. 24. 66

Dear Lord Houghton

I have been studying your “suggestive” article on the Miss Berrys {1}, if yours it is, and am much puzzled with one passage in it. You say the “bachelor” described in Cyril Thornton {2} is General O’Hara: but described as “of the age of sixty seven.” If so, the General must have been 67 at least—say about 70—when he died. But he died in 1802. Could he have been described by Horace Walpole in 1791, at sixty, as “with his face as ruddy and black and his teeth as white as ever!”? and could he have been between sixty and seventy when he made a fool of himself at Toulon against Napoleon? and when he made love to Miss Berry, which would have been making more of a fool of himself still? I cannot help thinking ther is some mistake of date, but I have not Cyril Thornton at hand.

Very truly yours
H. Merivale

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{1} Houghton’s unsigned review of Extracts in the Quarterly Review, Jan. 1866 (vol. cxix, pp. 154–81).

{2} Thomas Hamilton’s novel The Youth and Manhood of Cyril Thornton, first published in 1827.

Richmond.—Looks forward to seeing him for dinner on Sunday.

(Dated Friday, 6 June. Numbered 42.)

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Richmond frid[a]y 6 June

You are a good Lord to think of the amusement of the two old Women at Richmond—They gratefully receive you proferred visit on Sunday—They dine at seven Oclock—And I sincerely hope my poor Agnes will be better able to profit by your tales of the Ball than she has been lately

Yrs sincerely
M Berry

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Docketed ‘Miss Berry’. Numbered ‘42’ in the top left-hand corner in pencil.

Richmond.—Invites him to dinner.

(Dated Thursday, 20 May. Numbered 44.)

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I am like the Ministry, I will not resign the pleasure of your company & beg you will come & dine with us on Monday next at ½ past 6—Mr Craufurd will give you this & settle with you about coming together—

M Berry

Richmond
thursy 20 May

[Direction:] R: M: Milne† Esqr MP. | Pallmall

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Numbered ‘44’ in the top left-hand corner in pencil.

† Sic.

Curzon Street, (London).—Invites him to call this evening.

(Dated Saturday, 22 Mar. Numbered 45.)

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If you have any Moments to spare do come & see y[ou]r old sick friends this Evening, & tell us what place you are going to fill in any of the new Governments that you may think fit to give us

Y[ou]rs very sincerely
A Berry

Curzon St
Saturday 22 March

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Numbered ‘45’ in the top left-hand corner in pencil.

Curzon Street, (London).—Invites him to dinner.

(Dated Tuesday, 23 Apr. Numbered 43.)

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Every Evening I have been hoping to see you & every day to thank you for your magnificence in the character of Vertumnus—But in vain. As I am about to depart from this life—of London, I begin to be anxious to make a good use of my time, let me hope therefore, that you can give us the pleasure of your Company at dinner on Saturday next the 29th—that, & Sunday, are now the only Evengs I can call my own

M Berry

Curzon St
tuesy 23 | April

[Direction:] R. M: Milnes Esqr M.P. | Pallmall 26

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Numbered ‘43’ in the top left-hand corner in pencil.

Curzon Street, (London).—Invites him to dinner.

(Dated Monday. Numbered 36.)

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Curzon St. Monday.

Can you, & will you come & eat a Côtelette with us at the fireside on thursday next the 11th. at real seven Oclock?

M Berry

R.S.V.P.

[Direction:] R. M. Milnes Esqre MP | 26 Pallmall

Richmond.—Invites him to dinner.

(Dated Tuesday evening, 18 May. Numbered 38.)

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Richmond tues[da]y Eve[nin]g
18 May

Pray come & dine with us on thursday next at ½ past six & I will treat you with two very agreeable Women to dinner.

I am anxious to get another look of you before you are absorbed by office

M Berry

R.S.V.P.

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Black-edged paper. Numbered ‘38’ in the top left-hand corner in pencil.

Curzon Street, (London).—Invites him to dinner.

(Numbered 40.)

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As we are very soon going a Maying, I should like to hear a little romance (which I can no longer make for myself) before I go—So pray come & dine with us on Wednesday next at real seven Oclock—

M Berry

Curzon St
11 April

R.S.V.P.

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Numbered ‘40’ in the top left-hand corner in pencil.

Richmond Hill.—Invites him to dinner.

(Dated Wednesday, 7 June. Numbered 37.)

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Richmond hill Wed[nesda]y 7th June

If, as your note of the 8th tells me, that tho going to Yorkshire you shall be always on the road to Richmond, pray contrive to arrive there on tuesday next the 13th to dinner at seven Oclock, when I will shew you something more beautiful than our prospect

Much and sincerely Yrs {1}
M Berry

R.S.V.P.

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Numbered ‘37’ in the top left-hand corner in pencil.

{1} This line is indistinct.

Richmond.—Invites him to dinner.

(Dated Tuesday, 2 June. Numbered 41.)

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If it were possible to suppose that “a Man of Wit & Pleasure about town” could come down to a Country dinner with two old Women, I should propose your dining with us on Saturday next a† ½ past six—

M Berry

Richmond
tuesday
2d June

R.S.V.P.

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Numbered ‘41’ in the top left-hand corner in pencil.

Richmond.—Invites him to dinner.

(Dated Sunday evening, 30 May. Numbered 39.)

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Will Res publica allow you to come & dine with us on thursday next 3 June at ½ past six O clock?

M Berry

R.S.V.P.

Richmond
Sun[da]y Eve[nin]g
30th May

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Numbered ‘39’ in the top left-hand corner in pencil.

Curzon Street, (London).—Is unable to see him before he goes to Paris or write him an introductory letter to Mrs Graham.

(Dated Friday, 4 Dec. Numbered 34.)

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Curzon St Friday 4 Dec[embe]r

I am sorry not to be able to see you before you go to Paris, & not at present in a state of mind to write you such an introductory letter, as I should wish, to Mrs Graham—But you will find many persons at Paris who will introduce you to her, & when you return, I hope I shall be able to profit by your account of your intercourse with her, & with your view of the present curious state of the public mind at Paris—I am always very sincerely y[ou]rs

M Berry

Curzon Street, [London].—Sends a message to introduce him to Mrs Graham.

(Black-edged paper. Dated Monday, 14 Dec. Numbered 35.)

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Curzon St Mond[a]y 14 Dec[embe]r

I was much obliged to you for your note from Boulogne, & shall be made more obliged to you if you will write to me from Paris—As it is a country I am not a stranger to I shall understand you à demi mot—

If you are not already introduced to Mrs Graham, which I have no doubt is the case—Shew her the lines I have written on the other side of this Sheet {1}, & I think you will need no other introduction—

Pray do not let the agréemens† of Paris detain you too long from your friends in London among whom I hope you will always reckon—

M Berry

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{1} The introduction was presumably written on the other half-sheet, which has been cut off.

† Sic.