My dear friends—Dear Clarke and dear Mary Victoria,—(for you know I don’t like to part with the old word) the first letter from Nice came duly to hand; but for the reason kindly contemplated by itself, I could not answer it at the moment, and the same reason made me delay the answer, and now still makes me say almost equally little on that particular point, except that I sigh as I am wont to do from the bottom of my heart, and thank you with tears for the privilege of silence accorded me.
Were it not for dear friends and connexions still living, I
should now feel as if I belonged wholly to the next world; but while they remain to
me, or I to them, I must still do my best to make the most of the world I am in, in
order to deserve their comfort of me during the remainder of my progress to that
other; where I do believe that all the wants which hearts and natures yearn to be
lovingly made up, will be made up, as surely as in this world fruits are sounded
and perfected (final short-comings of any kind being not to be thought possible in
God’s works) and where “all tears will be wiped from all faces.”
Why was any text inconsistent with that, ever suffered to remain in the book that
contains it? But I am talking when I thought to become mute. Be you mute for me. I
shall take your silence for dumb and loving squeezes of the hand. Winter here has
been as severe with us, after its severer kind, as it has been with you in the
midst of its lemon-blossoms and green peas. I hope your summer has turned out as
proportionately excellent, and then you will have had a summer indeed; for we have
been astonished at our June without fires, and our continuously blue weather. Your
walks are noble truly, and would be wonderful if you had not a companion; a thing
which always makes me feel as if I could walk anywhere and for ever; that is to
say, if anything like such a companion as yours, but doubtless stoppings would
occasionally be found desirable, especially at inns, or where “si vende birra” “Strada Smollett” is delightful. By-and-by there will be
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1 In allusion to “World-noted Women,” written by M. C. C. for Messrs. Appleton, of New York, in 1857. |
LEIGH HUNT AND HIS LETTERS. | 267 |
Ah me! Thus preach I my first sermon to loving eyes from my wall in Maison Quaglia, at Nice.
The other day I got news at last of the safe arrival of my box
of books and manuscripts (for the American press) at Washington, Pennsylvania,
which it had reached by a circuitous progress thro’ other Washingtons, caused
by my ignorance of there being any other Washington than one, and so having omitted
the Pennsylvania. One London, I thought, one Washington; forgetting that London is
a word of unknown meaning, therefore who cares to repeat it? Whereas Washington was
a man, of whom men are proud; and hence it seems, there are 70 Washingtons! All
goes well with my “works” (grand sound!) and they are to come out, both
in verse and prose, the former forthwith; and special direction shall be sent to
Boston for all being forwarded duty free to Maison Quaglia, in return for my
“fifteen women” (strange, impossible sound of payment!) so I do not
send you the list you speak of, meantime; only I should be glad to know what prose
works of mine you may happen to possess at present, in case, if the publication of
them in America be comparatively delayed, I may be able to send you some of them,
such as I think you would best like; for there is a talk of republishing those in
England. Besides, I need room for an extract which I had got to make for Victoria from my friend Craik’s “English of Shakespeare.” I must not even
stop to enjoy with you some quotations from Drayton and Jonson, but I
must not omit to congratulate you both, and everybody else, on the new edition of Shakespeare,
especially as I reckon upon her turning her unique knowledge of him to dainty
account in her Preface, and would suggest to that end (if it be not already in her
head) that she would let us know what particular flowers, feelings, pursuits,
readings, and other things great and small he appears to have liked best. Other
people might gather this from her Concordance, but who so well as she that made it? Therefore
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