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as he is always dispirited himself at first, and wants encouraging.

"Carlyle writes best when he is obliged to write fast. One of his best things (in Mrs. Carlyle's opinion), the 'Johnson,' so written. A commission, and he tied to time. Notwithstanding all Carlyle has written, he still writes with difficulty, with labour, as he always has written. A mistake, Carlyle's writing such long works; gets tired out before he has done; the end gets feeble.'

"Annie asked what Mrs. Carlyle thought her husband's best work? The French Revolution' her favourite, though perhaps Cromwell the best written book.'

'Mr. Carlyle never complains of serious things; but if his finger cut, the house turned upside down; one must hold it and another get plaster.'

"When staying at the Grange, Monckton Milnes read aloud in an impressive dramatic way, Tennyson's Poem in Macmillan. [Sea Dreams.] Mr. and Mrs. Carlyle kept laughing Monckton would say, 'Now do listen ; you should listen; it's beautiful.'

"Annie called upon Mrs. Carlyle, who has been in great trouble. Her dog Nero killed by the doctor, last week, who had kindly offered some days before to administer poison, and put him out of his misery 'old age.' Has been quite upset.' Carlyle that evening cried like a child. On Sunday evening told her he could not rebuke her; he felt so wretched himself.

"Some time ago Mrs. Carlyle read aloud the account

PRIVATE BIOGRAPHIES.

85

of the Italian's execution-Buranelli's. The tears rolled down Carlyle's cheeks-he, who talks of shooting Irishmen who will not work.

"Mrs. Carlyle asked Annie various questions as to how she first met me, etc., etc., to all of which Annie naïvely replied in full. Mem :-This is how Mrs. Carlyle gets possessed of the private biographies of half London."

When staying away from six Great Cheyne Row, Alexander Gilchrist received a lively letter from Jane Carlyle :

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31st July, 1861. 5, Cheyne Row, Chelsea. "MY DEAR MR. GILCHRIST : A thousand thanks for your kind thought about us!-tho' fated to remain 'a devout imagination' on your part! We are no longer on the Farm-House quest,-' anything BUT!' (as my maid says.) In fact Mr. Carlyle is become so enamoured of the retirement he enjoys-beside the water-barrel, under that ten shillingsworth of calicothat I don't think a farm-house even within a stone cast of the sea, warranted free from cocks, dogs, and donkies, would tempt his imagination! And certainly on the principle of letting WELL be' letting sleeping Dogs lie' -and that sort of thing, for nothing in the world would I unsettle him, when he is so peaceable!—Just come and see; the next time you are up! For myself the backcourt is by no means country. I am speculating about going with Geraldine Jewsbury for three days to Ramsgate! I do so need a change?

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"Your house seems to be taken most perfect care of — but! Oh the noise of that stumping wooden leg!—it

gets up so early too! [An old soldier acting as caretaker at number six.]

"My kind love to your wife when you see her or write to her I miss her dreadfully.

"I went to see Fechter the other night and found myself between Lewes and Miss Evans!-by Destiny and not by my own Deserving. At least Destiny in the shape of Frederick Chapman who arranged the thing. Poor soul! there never was a more absurd miscalculation than her constituting herself an improper woman. She looks Propriety personified! Oh so slow! Yours very truly,

JANE CARLYLE."

CHAPTER IX.

A

DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI.

[1861. AGE 33.]

LEXANDER GILCHRIST met D. G. Rossetti in the spring of 1861; correspondence began over the "Life of William Blake."

The poet-artist took a keen interest in the illustrations for the Life; he writes about them April 20.

"MY DEAR GILCHRIST: I have been thinking that if you are still unprovided with a satisfactory copyist (or a sufficiency of such) for the Blakes, Mrs. Edward [Burne] Jones would be very likely to succeed. This occurred to me shortly after seeing you the other day, but I did not see her till to-day, when I mentioned the matter to her. I hope I did not do wrong, but she is too intimate a friend to make it awkward for me if you and Linton cannot entertain the idea. She says she would be happy to try-is very diffident, but I believe in her capabilities fully, as she really draws heads with feeling, and could give the expression-besides, Jones would be there to give help without trouble to himself.

'My great anxiety about my wife lasts still. She has

a doctor in whom I have confidence, and an excellent nurse, and we have also seen Dr. Babington, head of the Lying-in Hospital, so I feel sure all is being done for the best. She has too much courage to be in the least downcast herself; and this is one great point, nor is her strength unusually low. So we can but wait, and trust for a happy termination.

"With kind remembrances to Mrs. Gilchrist . . ." On the second of May, D. G. Rossetti says :"Swinburne and I will be with you on Saturday. "This morning my wife was confined-Our fears were correct in one respect, as the child was still-born-In all other respects she fares as yet, thank God, better than we had ventured to hope. Still of course anxiety cannot be at an end yet.

"I will try and come to the 'Cheese' on Thursday, though perhaps rather later than six, but I dare say I should find you till nearly seven." [The "Cheshire Cheese," a well-known tavern in Wine Office Court, out of Fleet-street.]

"I believe I am going to Macmillan's afterwards and perhaps you will bear me company. I send him the book to-day, and when I see him shall add your salutary stipulation, as to a fortnight's grace for decision. Patmore has written me most encouragingly concerning opinion of the book." [The book in question was "The Early Italian Poets, from Ciullo D'Alcamo to Dante Alighieri."] "I shall lend you a copy, if you have time to look at it.. Of course I mean to beg your acceptance of one as soon as it has the etchings and is otherwise completed."

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