Dear Mr Craik

It is a beautiful engraving, and I am much obliged for your kind proposal. But I don’t think anything can be made of the ladies of the Crusades for those about whom much is known were not very edifying characters and the good ones are pretty much lost in the light of their husbands.

But what would you think of a history of the wars between the Spaniards and Moors- from the Moorish conquest ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan

What I have by me in the way of authorities are the Universal History Lady Calcott’s in English and in Spanish a life of the Cid - Perez de Hyta (whence Washington Irving took his material, but which is only romance) and old Madiema - who is alarming - as he hardly ever has a paragraph, and when he does put a date, does not use figures!

I have picked out a ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

I have got into a puzzle how to manage with the further Scripture readings. Clay has printed them so slowly that I have only gone on with them when the arrival of proofs has warned me that copy would be wanted. And now I find that the volume has come to its regular size - about 250 pp in the middle of the Acts - i e when St Paul is at ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

About the name of the Spanish book which certainly is rather suggestive of the uncomplimentary riddle ‘What is the difference between Truth and Fiction? History and Her story My book is really both - a bit of real history, and then a collection of the wonderful stories and ballads about it.

I do not know any book that does combine them both, and I want to mark that this does.

I shall send ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Many thanks for the payment which comes pleasantly early this year.

My Spaniards and Moors are progressing, but I suppose I had better finish all before I send them, as if abridgement is needful it is better done on a whole than on a part.

Yours truly C M Yonge

Dear Mr Craik

I enclose the receipt with many thanks for the cheque, also for Bp Patteson and the loan of Islam.

When I can, I should like to add to Bp Patteson that the mission has learnt the manner of his death, and that it was the women who placed his body in the canoe and sent it out to meet the boat. I have not a copy left of Pioneers and Founders, so could you ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

I send 4 chapters of the Story of the Moors I will send some more as soon as I have touched it up. I think you may reckon on 30 chapters - 22 are written and bring me to Peter the cruel, but the actual siege of Granada will take up a good deal of room

About the little French history, I went over and added to the sheets as far as I ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

I am exceedingly puzzled. I am sure I wrote on to the end of the history of France, and that Mr Greene had it and wrote to me that it only came to 86 pp, and that I must make it longer. What can have become of the latter part? What did he go upon if he had it not in type to the end? Besides, I believe I had it in ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Should not the title be 'The Story of the Moors and Christians in Spain' A Story looks as if it were fiction

Yours truly C M Yonge

I shall send the proof tomorrow

Dear Mr Craik

I am afraid the last 3d of the Primer is lost. I will re write it after my outing. Happily it is only 40 pp at most - I hope waiting will not be troublesome. Here is another instalment of 'The Story of the Christians and Moors in Spain'

Yours truly C M Yonge

Dear Mr Craik

I send the end of the Story of the Christians and Moors. It makes 27 chapters, and I think more would outrun the limits besides the history of the poor Moriscos is so piteous that I do not like to go into it

Yours truly C M Yonge

Dear Mr Macmillan

Thank you very much for sending me this very severe review in the Academy. I feel annihilated, and if my old name does carry off this edition, I will gladly rewrite what calls for it. I really did not know that German criticism had overthrown so much of the old Spanish standard histories to which I trusted, especially for a mere epitome of the old Gothic kingdom, and as I did not want ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan

Very hearty thanks for your kind letter, I will thankfully correct my own careless blunders, of which I know three. I have sent to the London Library for one or two of the authorities but ‘Dahn’s great work’ is not there at all, unless it is more recent than my catalogue, and I don’t think I could properly understand it if I had it

I will keep to the old lines of the ... continue reading

Gentlemen

I am much obliged for the draft for £10 received this morning as well as the copies of the Story of the Christians and Moors, which I am very glad to have in this cheap form. I am much obliged for your liberality in the matter, and

remain &c C M Yonge

Dear Mr Macmillan

I am today sending Clay the last copy for the Scripture Readings, I suppose we may consider now whether the five volumes can be made more compact and profitable, and I hope Clay will finish off the present one quickly.

Thanks for sending all these notices of the Primer. It is odd I thought I had written up to MacMahon’s election, but perhaps Mr Green thought the siege made a better conclusion - and ... continue reading

Miss Yonge would be obliged if Messrs Macmillan would send a copy of the Story of the Christians and Moors to Madame de Witt, Boulevarde Hausseman Paris

Dear Mr Craik

Many, many thanks for prompt payment, an agreeable sight on a winter’s morning I think the story in the Monthly Packet will finish there about next spring It is not longer than the Three Brides, but has been in short chapters. I have not finished writing it yet, but the beginning may be printed when it is convenient. I am correcting the Moors and Christians gradually, and will send the result ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

I enclose the receipts and agreement with many thanks. I hope the Primer is doing well. One Blunder ought to be set right. I can’t help thinking it must have been a misprint. I knew it so well - ie that the Karling line had not died out - but been set aside.

I have done a good many correction to the Christians & Moors and will finish them up when wanted.

As a matter ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

I hope my sending the corrections on this pirated American copy of the ‘Christians and Moors’ is not inconvenient; they sent me a dozen, and I preferred sacrificing one to doing so from /with my own last copy

The lists at the end must not however be used to print from as the Americans have massed them together with a fine disregard of chronology

I have I hope corrected the careless blunders, It is ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik I cannot at all tell whether this is the right length, as the only ‘Golden Treasuries’ I have seen are my own and I do not think they have introductions.

I can easily add biographical details if you wish it to be longer - but I like to write to my own sense of the needs of the subject and to add or diminish afterwards as required.

Do you know whether Mrs Ritchie is abroad. ... continue reading