My dear Arthur Aimée Leroy is at Ilfracombe at this moment. I don’t know how soon she comes home, but a letter would find her in a few days. The person who could do the thing best of all is Miss Roberts, author of Mademoiselle Mori but she is abroad and last time I heard of her, she was in Corsica. I think I could do the thing for you, a good deal by ... continue reading

My dear C C Your paper on Novels is excellent, I only got it yesterday, as our paper boy is a blunderer. The three ladies are capital and the letting off the colourless novels without principles at all is quite true, and to the point. Miss Blackburne wrote me an account of her Authors club, I should not like to have such a thing to manage. Miss Cholmondely is the head I ... continue reading

Dear Mr Freeman , I waited to thank you for your kind note to see if there was any chance of so getting rid of the old edition of History of Christian Names, as to make it reasonable to put an abridgment much corrected in hand - But unluckily the book was printed in the anarchy of the J W Parker establishment and the edition was too large, so that I do not know how to ... continue reading

My dear Mr Freeman If the Scotsman is prunable, it will be a great relief to Miss Roberts and myself. If we do it at all it will be on the Cameo plan, with a table of contemporary Princes of the Empire at the head of each section. To divide by Emperors’ reigns any time between Frederick II and Maximilian would bring one to the verge of distraction. But I suspect our plan would make us ... continue reading

My dear Mr Freeman I am not sure whether it be you or Macmillan whom I have to thank for the masterly little compendium that makes your introductory volume. It is a great comfort to be so helped along the line of the Holy Roman Empire. I dare say you know those quaint old books - I have seen two different ones - that give portraits of all the Emperors in succession from Constantine to the ... continue reading

Dear Mr Freeman Having recently had a fresh look at Fridiswid’s window, I wish to explain that I find the green headed duck is not engaged in a miracle, but is merely an adjunct when she was hiding in the farm yard, and as the stately drake led forth his fleet upon the lake on Loch Lomond, he may be thus employed at home. There is so much worse a window near it that it brings ... continue reading

My dear Mr Freeman, Many thanks for King Ine. I hope we are not to wait thirteen years for his second part. It goes to my heart to lose St Boniface as a Devonshire man. What could have made them choose such a place for him to be born in as Crediton, if it was not true? No wonder Ceadwalla was tempting to the Witch.! I like Miss Macarthur’s Scotland much, it keeps ... continue reading

My dear Miss Palmer The printer has put your name in full upon this proof - but if you do not wish it to appear, you had better scratch it out, though of course the Packet would be glad to have the story owned.

I am glad it did not come while you were occupied with the wedding bustle, they like to put the Christmas number in hand a long time in advance. I am now at ... continue reading

My dear Mr Freeman, I think I was misled by the love of Vercingetorix, also of Sidonius Apollinarius whom I have admired ever since I met with him in Guizot, but I think I had better make a fresh start leaving all the Romans and Franks to be read in your history and starting with the Counts of Paris for my thread, and only making a short resumé to shew what material they came in upon. ... continue reading

My dear Mr Freeman,

I am going to take two or three days more that I may finish up Philip IV and his three disagreeable sons, who will complete the 2nd chapter - the 3d is to be the Hundred Years War, the 4th the Italian wars, the 5th must go from Louis XIII to the end of Louis XV, and ought to be called the Absolutism of the King. I expect you will find ... continue reading

Dear Mr Craik

I have stupidly lost Mr Freeman’s London address - would you be so kind as to send it to me on a card. I want to settle about divisions of chapters in the French writing. Shall I finish all, and then abridge, or do you want to begin printing?

yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Miss Yonge,

At last I have found a few moments for my regular work. Between Archaeological Meetings and Servians I have had not time for any NB. As to Servians and Bulgarians, can't you give us a good word in your Monthly Packet? I am gathering pretty considerably; but we want help in every quarter, and we want Turks, Jews and such as abet them to be barred in every ... continue reading

My dear Miss Bramston,

I have an urgent appeal sent through the Freemans of Somerleaze for warm garments for the poor refugee Servians

Miss Johnstone, 10 Ovington Gardens SW is going out again to Herzegovina on that day, and begs for money, serge blankets or any thing warm for the poor creatures

Perhaps you saw the account in the Cornhill, 3 months ago They will not be able to go on coming to that sort of school unless ... continue reading

My dear Mr Craik

I am rather anxious to know the upshot of the new arrangement which we were to have this year into the details of which I do not think we went.

What however is really important to me to know quickly is whether I am likely to receive enough at Christmas to warrant me in promising a payment of £250 - remembering that I have had £200 in advance

I want very much to ... continue reading

My dear Mr Macmillan

There is something in Mr Freeman’s essays that he wants me to look at. Would you be so kind as to let me have them - it is the volume with Charles the Bold in it

I hope the two French histories will come out right at last!

I always suppose some one is making holiday in August so I shall direct this so as to be opened by either you or Mr Craik

Yours ... continue reading

Dear Mr Macmillan

Thank you for the proof of the Primer, I hope to send it with additions in another week or so, as soon as I have finished what I have to do for Mr Freeman

I am glad you told me about the printer I wish printers would always mark their proofs visibly

Yours truly C M Yonge

Dear Mr Macmillan

Please let me have the rest of the Primer I thought I had it all, but I cannot find further than what I send.

I am waiting for Mr Freeman’s orders before I send back the French history

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

Dear Mr Craik

I am sure I ought to be satisfied, considering too the sum for the copyrights in March, but just one question. Have I ever been paid for the last volume of Cameos, I do not think I have, as it came out just after last years settlement I have always had £100 for each volume.

I am afraid I have been very stupid about both French histories and I am still waiting for ... continue reading

My dear Mr Freeman

It is a great relief to my mind, though I am very sorry to have been so stupid and to have given you so much trouble and I fear Mr Macmillan so much expense.

I suppose I am fitter to dwell on character than sum up political history. Did you write the article about the truculent pictures in the illustrated papers, I was very glad of it

Yours sincerely C M Yonge

It is a ... continue reading

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

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

My dear Sir

I am much obliged by your kind present of your little book on Wells Cathedral, which I shall read with much pleasure.

Here is the number of Macmillan creating further dismay in me by shewing that Scottish scholars at Oxford were not so uncommon as to be dangerou[sly] [text missing at edge] suspicious.

With many thanks Yours sincerely C M Yonge

My dear Dr Freeman,

How very kind in you, and as you say what a pity I did not know of it in time The history of the thing is this one of the sons of my very old friend, Sir William Heathcote is in Allens firm - He asked me to write one of their eminent women series and as I know Roberts’s history as one knows the Sunday books of one’s youth, I took ... continue reading

My dear Miss Bourne

Indeed I would gladly if I could, but months ago Professor Freeman asked me to come and see Hannah Mores villages, and hear his recollections of her, and the time has fixed itself for next week, and after that comes harvest - and dedication feasts - and Mission Guild meeting, and I am afraid I cannot do it though I am very sorry not to see you again this year before ... continue reading

My dear Mr Freeman,

Your letter followed me, on an expedition to Salisbury, where I have been seeing ‘the moot’. They had a moot there with the speakers at the summer house, and the people on the terraces, before one of the Elections, and the voices were perfectly heard. The art of hearing has been lost or rather that of making places to be heard in.

I have changed all the peas into pease. I ... continue reading

My dear Mr Freeman,

Thank you for the Report, which entertained us much. I have come to the conclusion that Reporters think anecdotes meant to give them repose I am sure I have seen them resting while a story was being told, and I have looked for it afterwards in vain, but I thought it was a peculiarity of our Winchester reporters!

It was a pity all Hannah’s parishes would not join! I see Tom Poole was ... continue reading