, I
shall immediately take the Victoria, and start Mr. ----, of the Theatre
Royal, Haymarket, as a smashing tragedian. Pray don't impose upon me
this cruel necessity.

I think Lamartine, so far, one of the best fellows in the world; and I
have lively hopes of that great people establishing a noble republic.
Our court had best be careful not to overdo it in respect of sympathy
with ex-royalty and ex-nobility. Those are not times for such displays,
as, it strikes me, the people in some of our great towns would be apt to
express pretty plainly.

However, we'll talk of all this on these Sundays, and Mr. ---- shall
_not_ be raised to the pinnacle of fame.

Ever affectionately yours,
My dear Macready.

[Sidenote: Editor of _The Sun_.]

DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, YORK GATE, REGENT'S PARK,
_Friday, April 14th, 1848._

_Private._

Mr. Charles Dickens presents his compliments to the Editor of _The Sun_,
and begs that gentleman will have the goodness to convey to the writer
of the notice of "Dombey and Son," in last evening's paper, Mr.
Dickens's warmest acknowledgments and thanks. The sympathy expressed in
it is so very earnestly and unaffectedly stated, that it is particularly
welcome and gratifying to Mr. Dickens, and he feels very desirous indeed
to convey that assurance to the writer of that frank and genial
farewell.

[Sidenote: Mr. W. Charles M. Kent.]

1, DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, YORK GATE, REGENT'S PARK,
_April 18th, 1848._

DEAR SIR,

Pray let me repeat to you personally what I expressed in my former note,
and allow me to assure you, as an illustration of my sincerity, that I
have never addressed a similar communication to anybody except on one
occasion.

Faithfully yours.

[Sidenote: Mr. John Forster.]

DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _Saturday, April 22nd, 1848._

MY DEAR FORSTER,[7]

I finished Goldsmith yesterday, after dinner, having read it from the
first page to the last with the greatest care and attention.

As a picture of the time, I really think it impossible to give it too
much praise. It seems to me to be the very essence of all about the time
that I have ever seen in biography or fiction, presented in most