love the old
Capitals for Nouns.' It has been a task of some difficulty to arrange
the letters in their proper order, in consequence of many of them being
either not dated at all or only imperfectly dated; but I hope I have
succeeded in giving them, approximately at least, in their true sequence.
The notes which are added are mainly for the purpose of explaining
allusions, and among them will be found extracts from other letters in my
possession which have not been published. The references to the printed
'Letters' are to the separate edition in the Eversley Series, 2 vols.
(Macmillans, 1894).

In a letter to Mr. Arthur Malkin, October 15, 1854 ('Further Records,'
ii. 193), Mrs. Kemble enunciates her laws of correspondence, to which
frequent reference is made in the present series as the laws of the Medes
and Persians: 'You bid me not answer your letter, but I have certain
_organic laws_ of correspondence from which nothing short of a miracle
causes me to depart; as, for instance, I never write till I am written
to, I always write when I am written to, and I make a point of always
returning the same amount of paper I receive, as you may convince
yourself by observing that I send you two sheets of note-paper and Mary
Anne only half one, though I have nothing more to say to you, and I have
to her.'

WILLIAM ALDIS WRIGHT.

_January_ 1895.

I.

WOODBRIDGE, _July_ 4, [1871.]

DEAR MRS. KEMBLE,

I asked Donne to tell you, if he found opportunity, that some two months
ago I wrote you a letter, but found it so empty and dull that I would not
send it to extort the Reply which you feel bound to give. I should have
written to tell you so myself; but I heard from Donne of the Wedding soon
about to be, and I would not intrude then. Now that is over {3a}--I hope
to the satisfaction of you all--and I will say my little say, and you
will have to Reply, according to your own Law of Mede and Persian.

It is a shame that one should only have oneself to talk about; and yet
that is all I have; so it shall be short. If you will but tell me of
yourself, who have read, and seen, and done, so much more, you will find
much more matter for your pen, and also for my entertainment.

Well, I have sold my dear little Ship, {3b} because I could not employ my
Eyes with reading in her Cabin, where I had nothing else to do. I think
those Eyes began to get better directly I had written to agree to the
Man's proposal. Anyhow, th