But I have not begun it yet, though I hope to do so to-night, having
been quite put out by chopping and changing about, and by a vile touch
of biliousness, that makes my eyes feel as if they were yellow bullets.
"Dombey" has passed its thirty thousand already. Do you remember a
mysterious man in a straw hat low-crowned, and a Petersham coat, who was
a sort of manager or amateur man-servant at Miss Kelly's? Mr. Baynton
Bolt, sir, came out, the other night, as Macbeth, at the Royal Surrey
Theatre.

There's all my news for you! Let me know, in return, whether you have
fought a duel yet with your milingtary landlord, and whether Lausanne is
still that giddy whirl of dissipation it was wont to be, also full
particulars of your fairer and better half, and of the baby. I will send
a Christmas book to Clermont as soon as I get any copies. And so no more
at present from yours ever.

FOOTNOTES:

[27] Mr. W. J. Fox, afterwards M.P. for Oldham, well known for his
eloquent advocacy of the Repeal of the Corn Laws, was engaged to write
the political articles in the first numbers of the _Daily News_.

[28] The first issue of the _Daily News_ was a sad failure, as to
printing.

[29] The birth, at Lausanne, of Mr. Thompson's eldest daughter,
Elizabeth Thompson, now Mrs. Butler, the celebrated artist.

[30] In the dramatised "Battle of Life."

1847.

[Sidenote: Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton.]

DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _January 12th, 1847._

MY DEAR SIR EDWARD,

The Committee of the General Theatrical Fund (who are all actors) are
anxious to prefer a petition to you to preside at their next annual
dinner at the London Tavern, and having no personal knowledge of you,
have requested me, as one of their Trustees, through their Secretary,
Mr. Cullenford, to give them some kind of presentation to you.

I will only say that I have felt great interest in their design, which
embraces all sorts and conditions of actors from the first, and it has
been maintained by themselves with extraordinary perseverance and
determination. It has been in existence some years, but it is only two
years since they began to dine. At their first festival I presided, at
their second, Macready. They very naturally hold that if they could
prevail on you to reign over them now they would secure a most powerful
and excellent advocate, whose aid would serve and grace their cause
immensely. I sympathise with their feeling so cordia