Volume 1

Letters of George Meredith / collected and edited by his son.

  • George Meredith
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Letters of George Meredith / collected and edited by his son. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Millais has nothing. Hunt a ‘ Street Wooing in Cairo/ of which you could judge better than I. Leighton has a ‘ Paolo and Francesca ’ ; painted just as the book has dropped and they are in no state to read more. You would scorn it; but our friendship never rested on common sentiments in art. I greatly admire it. I think it the sole English picture exhibiting passion that I have seen. I have the delight to stand alone in my judgment of this, as of most things, and I shall see the world coming round to my opinion, and thinking it its own. Does that smack of the original George M. ?— Never mind. Well: there is a beautiful portrait of Alice P . Idealised of course—showing more in her than she possesses ; hut my friend Maxse—one who is strong on points of feminine beauty (a naval man loose upon society)—thinks her superior to the picture in physique. He meets her out. He said to me, the first time : ‘ I think she thought me slow ’ :— the second : ‘ Is she stupid ? ’ His conclusive judgment pronounces her an exquisitely plumed little pol parrot. She is being admired : people think she should wear more clothing. The effect is said to be that of a damsel such as you see at the booth of a country fair.—Maxse is a very nice fellow with strong literary tastes. He was Naval Aide-de-Camp to Lord Lyons in the Crimea. I dare say you have heard of him. You would like him. He is very anxious to be introduced some day to Rose Jocelyn. I tell him that Janet ROSS is a finer creature. If Rose satisfies him, how will not Janet! He has taken a cottage at Molesey, and we make ex- peditions together on foot. Talking of Rose, did you see the Saturday ? It says you are a heroine who deserve to be a heroine. And yet I think I missed you. Your Mother tells me that Mrs. Austin speaks in very hand- some terms of the performance generally, and of the
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