er than writing about
you; which has been my employment of late, at leisure moments,--that
is, moments of leisure from idleness, not work. As you partly guessed,
I took in hand a Review of _Teufelsdrockh_--for want of a better
Heuschrecke to do the work; and when I have been well enough, and alert
enough, during the last fortnight, have tried to set down some notions
about Tobacco, Radicalism, Christianity, Assafoetida and so forth. But a
few abortive pages are all the result as yet. If my speculations should
ever see daylight, they may chance to get you into scrapes, but
will certainly get me into worse.... But one must work; _sic itur ad
astra_,--and the _astra_ are always there to befriend one, at least as
asterisks, filling up the gaps which yawn in vain for words.

"Except my unsuccessful efforts to discuss you and your offences, I have
done nothing that leaves a trace behind;--unless the endeavor to teach
my little boy the Latin declensions shall be found, at some time short
of the Last Day, to have done so. I have--rather I think from dyspepsia
than dyspneumony--been often and for days disabled from doing anything
but read. In this way I have gone through a good deal of Strauss's Book;
which is exceedingly clever and clearheaded; with more of insight, and
less of destructive rage than I expected. It will work deep and far,
in such a time as ours. When so many minds are distracted about the
history, or rather genesis of the Gospel, it is a great thing for
partisans on the one side to have, what the other never have wanted,
a Book of which they can say, This is our Creed and Code,--or rather
Anti-creed and Anti-code. And Strauss seems perfectly secure against the
sort of answer to which Voltaire's critical and historical shallowness
perpetually exposed him. I mean to read the Book through. It seems
admitted that the orthodox theologians have failed to give any
sufficient answer.--I have also looked through Michelet's _Luther_, with
great delight; and have read the fourth volume of Coleridge's _Literary
Remains_, in which there are things that would interest you. He has a
great hankering after Cromwell, and explicitly defends the execution of
Charles.

"Of Mrs. Strachey we have seen a great deal; and might have seen more,
had I had time and spirits for it. She is a warm-hearted, enthusiastic
creature, whom one cannot but like. She seems always excited by the wish
for more excitement than her life affords. And such