add that, after very many weeks, I did hear from
Donne, who told me of you, and that he himself had been out to dine: and
was none the worse.

And I still remain, you see, your long-winded Correspondent

E. F.G.

XLV.

12 MARINE TERRACE, LOWESTOFT,
_February_ 19/77.

DEAR MRS. KEMBLE,

Donne has sent me the Address on the cover of this Letter. I know you
will write directly you hear from me; that is 'de rigueur' with you; and,
at any rate, you have your Voyage home to England to tell me of: and how
you find yourself and all in the Old Country. I suppose you include my
Old Ireland in it. Donne wrote that you were to be there till this
Month's end; that is drawing near; and, if that you do not protract your
Visit, you will [be] very soon within sight of dear Donne himself, who, I
hear from Mowbray, is very well.

Your last Gossip was very interesting to me. I see in it (but not in the
most interesting part) {122a} that you write of a 'J. F.,' who tells you
of a Sister of hers having a fourth Child, etc. I fancy this must be a
Jane FitzGerald telling you of her Sister Kerrich, who would have
numbered about so many Children about that time--1831. Was it that Jane?
I think you and she were rather together just then. After which she
married herself to a Mr. Wilkinson--made him very Evangelical--and
tiresome--and so they fed their Flock in a Suffolk village. {122b} And
about fourteen or fifteen years ago he died: and she went off to live in
Florence--rather a change from the Suffolk Village--and there, I suppose,
she will die when her Time comes.

Now you have read Harold, I suppose; and you shall tell me what you think
of it. Pollock and Miladi think it has plenty of Action and Life: one of
which Qualities I rather missed in it.

Mr. Lowell sent me his Three Odes about Liberty, Washington, etc. They
seemed to me full of fine Thought, and in a lofty Strain: but wanting
Variety both of Mood and Diction for Odes--which are supposed to mean
things to be chanted. So I ventured to hint to him--Is he an angry man?
But he wouldn't care, knowing of me only through amiable Mr. Norton, who
knows me through you. I think _he_ must be a very amiable, modest, man.
And I am still yours always

E. F.G.

XLVI.

12 MARINE TERRACE, LOWESTOFT,
_March_ 15, [1877.

DEAR MRS. KEMBLE,

By this time you are, I suppose, at the Address you gave me, and which
will now cover this Letter. You have seen Donn