My dear Mr Macmillan, I suppose the Trial ought to be stereotyped that it may stand on the same footing with the other books. In all the former cases I have been at the whole expense of printing, paper, binding &c, and have thus had all the profits, except the commission on the sales - I think the arrangement with regard to the Trial was that I was to receive £200 for 2,000 copies; I conclude ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge .

What you received is an original drawing - not a proof. I am glad you like it so far. I want to reproduce it by the photolithographic process which is at once cheap and accurate. The artist is a very promising young man who is almost self taught & who has done some charming oil[sic]. He wanted to try his hand on book illustrations, and this seemed a good chance for him, if ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I sent the drawing by the train yesterday. It was very dull of me not to have seen that it was a drawing. Our only other criticism is that a touch or two might make the little Duke’s limbs more child like.

As a matter of fact I believe the Normans did not wear beards, but I only found this out long after the book was out, so book and beard must both stand ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge We shall be very glad indeed to see the Deeds become words in print. I meant to have no illustrations except the vignette which I have had in my other Golden Treasury books. This has been 'exercising' me a good deal of late. I cannot hit on either the sort of subject or the man to do it. I would be most grateful to you for a hint. I am inclined to send ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan The first instalment of Golden Deeds shall start tomorrow - it is all ready except one extract.

About the engraving. If a merely typical one, I think a figure rushing between some prostrate form and receiving a murderer’s stroke would express the spirit of the whole.

The individual scenes that seem to tell their story best, and to express the whole in one would be such as Sir Philip Sidney rejecting the water - Horatius ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, The lamp is decidedly a bright thought. I will add a bit about Miss Nightingale to the introduction to bring it in appropriately.

Yours very truly C. M. Yonge

Dear Miss Yonge

There are three aspects of [illegible] Miss Bonham Carter, not [illegible] is the artist. I saw it in his studio and concluded it was his own. Of course we can only engrave one of the three. I think unquestionably the one looking to the right.

Please tell me how you like it

Yours ever truly A. Macmillan

My dear Mr Macmillan, The Clever Woman of the Family as far as she goes will be sent you in a day or two from a friend who had had her to read.

The illustrations are decidedly not successful and I should not wish to perpetuate them. They are not half so good as what Miss Keary’s young cousin does.

There is about a fourth more of the story to come.

I have nearly finished the Golden Deeds, but ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge That extremely excellent and instructive person 'The Clever Woman of the Family' will be duly introduced to all your friends as per list. I trust we shall have her 'out' in a very few days, when your wishes will be attended to in this and also in regard to the other books you give me a list of instructions about. I am in occasional correspondence with Mr Henry Wilberforce, at least he ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge I ought to have acknowledged the copy for the new number earlier, but I wanted to write you a longer letter which I cant do today after all.

I would be glad to see what more you have written of Bethlehem, when you have satisfied yourself - or at least approximately - who could satisfy themselves on such a subject. The young Artist is ready to work whenever you like.

Shall I pay the ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge The photograph is from a picture by Mr Farren the young artist whom I wanted to illustrate your Bethlehem. I was anxious to know that you thought him up to the mark. The picture was from Kingsleys Saints Tragedy, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary carrying her child to the altar in the early morning. I think it indicates a power considerably above average of entering into a spiritual conception. But I should be ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge Your scheme as decided by Miss Sewell and yourself seems to me very admirable. The one question is the compactness and vivid unity, which will be hard rather in an [illegible] such as you propose. But with artists like yourself [and] Miss Sewell there should be no difficulty[.] the thing ought to be very interesting indeed.

I have read all the Prince and the Page down to the present month. I think it ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge I have seen the lithographer this morning and shown him Miss John’s drawing. He, I am sorry to say, was more emphatic against it than even I felt. Would you mind my going to my friend Mr Farren I do not like seeming to slight your friend but indeed I doubt much whether Miss Johns could do justice to the charming story. Mr Farren has greatly improved since he did the [[cmybook:20]Little ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge Mr Maclear’s address is

Rev G. F. M. 24 Elgin Crescent Kensington Park Gardens[[footnote:1]

Many thanks for your kind [illegible] about the illustrations. I think on the whole it would be dangerous to employ an unpractised pencil. On some future occasion I shall be very glad indeed.

My people at home have been reading your cameos, and think they would make a nice book. I am inclined to think so too - in a cheap form

Yours ever ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge The MS. reached us safely. I will [illegible] distribution in the months

We shall be very glad to see you when you come to town. It is just possible that I may be gone to America, but my wife & sister are at home; and we recently made a valuable addition to our neighbourhood , 'the author of John Halifax',whose husband Mr Craik, has become my partner, has taken a house quite near ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, Thanks for the cheque. I enclose the receipt.

I do not know whether the British Museum has a copy of Theurdanck - probably it would I think, but if you should be in Oxford, there is a beauty at the Bodleian, a much better one than that which I have here, which is only lent to me.

You should also look at the wonderful wood cuts in ‘Der Weise König.’ There is a demon sitting ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I will see Theuerdank somehow though I fear I shall not be at Oxford before I go to America on the 28th. The Bodleian dont let books out - in which they are quite right. Cambridge U.L. does - in which they are quite wrong, though I often benefit by it. I have written to Cambridge. When I see what the pictures look like I will be able to judge how the book ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, Thanks, here are the receipts. I think I once got 5/ in like manner before from the Cape. I am not able yet to speak with any certainty of our plans. We have just offered ourselves to my uncle for the 8th of September, and there is such a vista of relations to stay with when once we get into Devonshire, that I do not think we shall come to London till the ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I am home again and at work, having greatly enjoyed my holiday.

I hope to see you soon in London. Will you kindly give us notice when you are coming. I am anxious to see what can be done, if anything in the way of a vignette for the “Dove”.

Yours ever truly A. Macmillan

Many thanks for the information you kindly sent Mr Craik

My dear Mr Macmillan, Most of these illustrations I like very much, they are full of life, and the King very dignified, if they are lithographed I suppose it is too late for alteration, but the faces of Eleanor in the second, and of the Page in the first are rather distressing, and I think that in the second the page is rather too short and stocky to give the notion of one who was to ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan By no means did I mean the graceful little lamp on Golden Deeds - nor the Dove in the Sunday Book - nor the well in Cawnpore. I meant such a high priest and book as are outside Smith’s Biblical dictionary; or some of the whole pictures of men and women one often sees upon books, - spoiling the whole effect of the real illustration within. It was odd that I asked my ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, Thanks. A parcel sent to me on Friday directed not to Winchester, but to Bishopstoke Station would be nearly sure to come in time, but we often have delays at Winchester. I am sending the revise of the preface today.

I will write about the other copies - but I have not time to write out the addresses at this moment. I rather regret the view of Ulm. General illustrating of the whole set ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge The first instalment of the Book of Worthies has just come to hand. I will at once send it to the printer, as I shall be glad to get it out if possible for the summer. I quite feel that you are right about the length of the Biographies. Too great brevity would lessen the interest of the stories, and a few well told & pretty fully told is better than many made ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge

I think I have got a most charming gem of Alexander, whom I was contemplating as one vignette. I am afraid he was rather an unworthy in some ways. But who is always worthy. This face is so beautiful. It is engraved by Worship[?] from the Besborough [sic] Collection. You shall see it.

Very faithfully yours A. Macmillan

My dear Miss Yonge I have arranged with Mr Armitage a painter of considerable reputation particularly for pictures of Sacred & Christian subjects to draw us three designs for your The Pupils of St John. As I hope we may be able to make our start in January, it will be needful to be getting on with both the drawing and the engraving. Could you give Mr Armitage any hints that would enable him to make ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I send you three four chapters that I have finished. My plan has come to this and I had been thinking of writing to you or Miss Martin about it.

Chapter I, Description of Ephesus

II Work of St Paul at Ephesus

III Life of St John up to the dispersion of the Apostles from Jerusalem

IV The 2nd visit of St Paul to Ephesus - review of all the chief disciples of Paul & John with the fates ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I write mainly to acknowledge the receipt of your last four chapters, and also to say that your sketch seems to me very good. But were you not to give a third pupil of St John?

I will see Miss Martin today she will no doubt write to you on any point of detail. I do not in the least anticipate any difficulty on point of church arrangements. Only one thing has struck me ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan I believe the childish form does not last, it is always cramping and a scratch of the pen will alter it where it prevails.

I was sorry afterwards I had not mentioned St John being recognised by his former pupil, the captain of the robbers, when he went out to be taken by him. It would be a fine subject for expression, and I wonder it has never been taken before. I believe I ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I send up the two next chapters of St John, in case it should be convenient to show Mr Armitage the description of the scene with the Robber. Do you mean to have vignettes? If you do the cup with the serpent should come at the end of the last chapter I send you, and the one I am writing now should have the golden candlestick, I should try for Diana for the ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I have sent the description to Mr Armitage, who I am sure will be very glad to have it.

About vignettes I am rather uncertain. They are very dangerous. Anything short of high excellence is apt to be commonplace and conventional. The cup with the serpent dos not commend itself to me quite. I am afraid I have not much taste for arbitrary symbolism - meanings in fact I do like and in words.

However ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge . I have forwarded your letter to Miss Martin who has gone to Bude. I am sure there will be no difficulty in arranging matters. Her only object as I understood her was as the Series is to go over a long space there would be serious danger of one book repeating the work of another, and so there would [be] too much of one part given, and details of another that would ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge I am very sorry indeed that you should be perplexed about this matter[.] I hope we will be able to arrange it without giving you serious trouble. I was under the impression that you understood that the volume should be about the size of the Hugh Macmillans - between 300 & 400. On May 10 I am sure I wrote to that effect.

As matters stand I think we had better publish in parts ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge You shall have all the new matter in slips and the old sheets as they were so that the inserting may be all made at once when it is finally settled what these are to be. I have no doubt the result will be a very satisfactory volume of which we will be proud. Later down I hope you will get [illegible] your more modern volume.

In the meantime there is a small ... continue reading

Dear Miss Yonge Yesterday Mr Craik paid £200 into Hoare’s in your a/c. I hope my not telling you before will have caused you no [illegible]

I am very sorry you do not like the illustrations. It is now impossible to get fresh ones done, and pardon me saying I really like them. I hope you will get reconciled to them by and by

[Rest of letter indecipherable as is the one, dated 22 January 1868, that follows]

Dear Miss Yonge, We will give you the £200 for the copyright of the Cameos. It is a rather full sum but the book is of a kind we like to possess. Some day we will get a series of actual Cameos engraved for it. But in the mean time we contract [illegible] with one for the title page & one for the cover. I think you will certainly like the look of the book.

We send ... continue reading

My dear Miss Yonge, I send you the first copy of the Cameos which has been bound. It has been delayed about that title page, in which I wanted to produce a cameo effect, [illegible] that may be. The book I am sure is a charming book and we tried to give it an adequate dress.

I think Clay is making better progress with the Selections. Miss Sewell seems satisfied. I have never I think spoken of ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan, I believe the Little Duke has been translated into French, I am sure I have given leave for it, but I do not always hear whether a translation comes to anything

The Cameos would certainly be the better for an Index, I do not think a genealogical table is wanted

I find I still have one of your books, besides Julius Caesar. I will return them together.

The gilt edged copy is very pretty - many ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan I shall see Miss Johns on Saturday and have a consultation with her.

I have been prevented from setting about the Storehouse by the almost sudden death - the first day of this month - of one of my dear cousins - the one on whom I relied for looking out the copies of the books that I was to have from Puslinch. I have not been willing to trouble her sister to ... continue reading

Dear Madam

The illustrations are most beautiful and I am very much struck with the expressiveness and good drawing of all the animals. Unfortunately I have mislaid your first letter and cannot refer to it, so that I am not sure whether it was sent with a view to future publications, or to plans of publishing it.

I have no power to change my own illustrators, but if you liked, I could send it to Macmillans ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

Many thanks for your letter and cheque. I am glad to see your writing again, and that the first dreariness of return has been faced.

I am glad the cheap edition is doing so well, it is capitally got up and bound, and I regret nothing but the Daisy Chain illustrations and those to the Trial. Those to the intermediate edition were much better.

I have had some correspondence about a story of the historical ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Blackburn I have bought myself a Grimm, and studied all the Thumbs that have come in my way, and have come to the conclusion that the way to make him pretty will be after all as you suggested, to begin with King Arthur. The unmitigated nursery legend with all the swallowing and the tricks is not poetical, and must have been vulgarized. So I will take what of Round table stories will suit, ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Blackburn That you may see the earnest has begun I send you the beginning of Tom on inspection, but please let me have him again or I shall forget what articles of fairy furniture have been used up. I like the work very much, and where you see numbers put I mean to have notes, and quote my authorities, Drayton, Ben Jonson, Shakespeare, Geoffrey of Monmouth. In this way I think pretty bits ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Blackburn Many thanks for your photograph which I am very glad to possess, as it is pleasant to have more than a visionary notion what one is writing to.

I cannot find any authority for Tom Thumb’s father being a miller, in one of your books he is a ploughman in the other a woodman, and in Grimm a peasant, so as he seemed to be quite well to do, with a cow ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Blackburn, Herewith is a ‘Heartsease’ which I don’t expect you to like much except one character in it. I wonder if I judge rightly which of them you will tolerate, not that I shall tell you beforehand.

The time for the Little Duke’s second edition is come, so would you be so kind as to give directions to have another 2000 plates struck off. It is to be a cheaper affair this ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Blackburn, We are rather in distress for the eight folds of paper, as the width of the back depends on them, and orders should be given to the binder, so if they have not set off would you have them sent to me at Deer Park, Honiton, whither it seems finally settled that we are to go on Monday. If you could also send me the impressions of the other illustrations we could ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Blackburn, The price of the binding was /6½ per volume, as that blue is an expensive cloth, and the binding of an illustrated book is always more expensive, because the plates have to be sewn in separately. I must say that I have a suspicion that you had divided the sum total by 1000 instead of 2150, for certainly 1/4 would have been almost enough to bind a quarto. The paper is included ... continue reading

My dear Madam

I well remember the warm interest that Mr Keble took in your poem, indeed one sentence in the notice was his own. The illustrated edition to which you allude of the Christian Year, must I think be either one with some photographs or else one with illuminations both of which were got up with little or no sanction from Mr Keble

Parker of Oxford is the only publisher to whom you could apply, but ... continue reading