My dear Elizabeth

I wonder whether you are taking your holiday at home or abroad. Of course I am only having the grace to write to you to ask you to help me, but I daresay you will excuse that. I think you went once to Buxton. Do you happen to have a guide book or the like with a description of Pools’ hole, or did you see the latter (if you hate ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Thank you for your letter, and your kind promise of £200 for this edition of Unknown to History. I hope the cheap movement will be successful. I own I should like to see the Heir of Redclyffe and Heartsease in shilling and sixpenny editions I think they would have a great sale.

Please let a copy of ‘Unknown to History’ go to

Miss Coleridge Manor House Ottery St Mary

I thought it would have come while ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge,

I hope to send you in a day or two a small book I have written about travels in Iceland which were made by me chiefly on the track of various old Sagas, in which I was greatly interested. The book indeed treats of the country from the point of view of its literature. I need not say how pleased I should be if my old friend the ‘Monthly Packet’ liked it enough ... continue reading

My dear Elizabeth

I have often meant to write and say how much your Buxton book helped me in the descriptions of the place, though I had to construct it a good deal from my own consciousness- Queen Elizabeth’s looking down the assassin is perfectly true - I should have not have dared to write– if I could have imagined– anything so improbable as poor Babington having that picture taken, and Gifford’s shewing it ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Many thanks for the payment. The knowledge that the amount for Unknown to History is coming is quite sufficient for me at present. I have been kept waiting about the Christian Names by Mr H Jenner of the British Museum who promised to set me right about the Keltic mythology but I suspect has forgotten all about it. I am desiring him to let me have it again, and let me do ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Mudie’s books have come at last, after spending ten days on the road. Greville is there. And the Queen’s Journals.

Shall I return you the latter from the London Library.

I ought to have the Proofs of the Quest of Ulysses. I know I put Lord Balmerino into the wrong rebellion which is as bad as putting Dunfermline on the wrong side of Scotland as I did in Unknown to History.

So much for not verifying!

There ... continue reading

Dear Madam

I am much obliged for the loan of these two books. I have the Queens of England but not the Queens of Scotland, and the little book about Northamptonshire told me just what I wanted

With many thanks Yours truly C M Yonge