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The Life and Letters of John Gibson Lockhart
Chapter 23: 1853-54
John Gibson Lockhart to Charlotte Lockhart Hope, 2 December 1853
INTRODUCTION & INDEXES
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
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Vol. I. Preface
Vol. I Contents.
Chapter 1: 1794-1808
Chapter 2: 1808-13
Chapter 3: 1813-15
Chapter 4: 1815-17
Chapter 5: 1817-18
Chapter 6: 1817-19
Chapter 7: 1818-20
Chapter 8: 1819-20
Chapter 9: 1820-21
Chapter 10: 1821-24
Chapter 11: 1817-24
Chapter 12: 1821-25
Chapter 13: 1826
Vol. II Contents
Chapter 14: 1826-32
Chapter 15: 1828-32
Chapter 16: 1832-36
Chapter 17: 1837-39
Chapter 18: 1837-43
Chapter 19: 1828-48
Chapter 20: 1826-52
Chapter 21: 1842-50
Chapter 22: 1850-53
Chapter 23: 1853-54
Chapter 24: Conclusion
Vol. II Index
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“Rome, December 2, 1853.

“My dear Charlotte,—Since I had your last comfortable letter I indited a reply to one of Kate’s, and thought she would probably send it on, but it now seems long since I heard from or about you, and I must not be lazy any longer. Give me good news of yourself, your man, and Mary Monica. I am able
374 LIFE OF J. G. LOCKHART.  
to report very well, on the whole, as to myself. The weather is still, with rare exceptions, beautiful—cold unless in the sun—but the sun usually powerful most of the day, the sky as bright as ever June saw in England, and the whole aspect of field and tree as fine as possible. It is a principal charm of Italy, and especially Rome, that every garden and park, large or small, abounds in the most luxuriant and picturesque of evergreens—ilexes in avenues—stone-pines in groves—myrtle hedges by the mile—lemon ditto (the divinest fragrance!). What with riding under Hay’s orders, and driving with Mrs. Sartoris, I am becoming an adept in the Campagna beauties for seven or ten miles round, and she proves an inexhaustible fund of entertainment in her talk meantime, about anything but poetry and picturesques, her course of life having been one not imagined by me, and by her portrayed with a marvellous, though not at all harsh or uncharitable frankness. In fact, she is a delightful person—worth five hundred Fanny Kembles, even in talent, which is not her forte. You will have inferred considerable improvement in strength: it is certainly so, and the surest sign is the appetite, which has now recovered itself, I may say, to one’s utmost wish. I eat good breakfast and fair dinner, and though the hands and feet are still cold as before, I may hope that symptom also will yield by-and-by.

“Our life is gay—we dine out four or five times a week—once always with Duke of Northumberland—
ROME375
and may, if we please, go to dinner every night—some lady or other having assumed a particular one weekly. The Palazzo Doria is the only great Roman house opened yet, and we were at the assembly t’other night, when I saw some splendid beauties, and more red stockings than I perhaps ever shall again. The rooms most magnificent, and the Shrewsbury princess very courteous. Every day comes a new batch of London beau monde. As I write I have your short but agreeable epistle of Nov. 21. Why do you not continue your report about poor Lord Robertson? I had a line from him the day after the attack, but only a line, and am certainly not a little anxious, though I think if there had been any considerable alarm you could hardly have written without alluding to the subject. Last Sunday I heard Cardinal Wiseman preach in English at S. Andrea de’ Frati, and capably he performed—a good contrast to the donkeys of our Anglican Chapel. I think I saw Manning’s skull spot in the dark church, and also a gleam of spectacles very like Mr. Allies’s, but no symptom as yet of the Carstairs noblesse. Pius IX. is lodged again at the Vatican, which he should never have left, as it is excellently fortified. At the —— —— (?) there might be six or eight French officers, but they seemed all generals—certainly not one youngish man. The French ambassador is the only diplomat that opens his house at all—whence sad complaints of our ladies.

J. G. Lockhart.”