SD1515. Thomas Carlyle to John A. Carlyle

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 17, 275 (in part).

Hôtel Maurice, Rue de Rivoli,

Paris 28 Septr, 1851–

My dear Brother,

Here I am safe enough, if not in the best of conditions or with the fruit-fullest of outlooks: …

We had a pleasant enough journey, all except the sea to Dieppe,—and surely one of the ch[eap]est, the whole fare to Paris, in the best place, being only 22/! Our sail was of 8 hours; a nice little boat, but a “knotty” sea, and some gusts of brief showers: everybody, almost except myself, was sick, and vomiting, “Oh-h-h-h!” I smoked one cigar, lying on my side, horizontal, and looking at the queer French Exhibition men and women whose noisy table got utterly quenched by degrees; one after another breaking into, “Hoh-h-h!” and then silence!– — We had a tolerab[le] inn at Dieppe (a queer nice old town of som[e] 10,000); and I slept moderately well,—dreaming of my Mother in my second sleep. On the whole, it was a nice country all the way, a brilliant day, and the Brownings were excellent friends, and couriered me along in every respect, witht the least trouble left for me except tha[t] of sitting still. We parted at the Railway Station here, after going thro’ the octroi together,—they are very loud the French railway people; and make the most of every thing, instead of the least, like the wiser English! That octroi, essentially zero, took us nearly an hour of time!– Browning called in the evening to inquire if I was all right; and yesterday I saw him and his Wife again. For news, he reported that Tennyson had already returned out of Italy, and was said to be now back in Paris again. There is travelling, is there not? …

Publication: Carlyle, 26, 188–190.

Manuscript: National Library of Scotland.

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