INTRODUCTION xxxi

The winter of 1849-1850 passed, and Ruskin was still only in the middle of his work for The Stones of Venice. His parents, however, were not in good health, and he set his face homewards once more, returning by Genoa and the South of France, and staying for a few days on the road to study the cathedrals of Valence, Vienne, Lyons, and Bourges. After a visit to the old people at Denmark Hill, Ruskin and his wife settled at their house in Park Street for the season. Ruskin was now one of the literary figures of the day, and the circle of his literary acquaintance was widening. He was a member, but not an habitué, of the Athenæum Club. Of Rogers, to whom he had been introduced as a boy, he saw a good deal. He was on terms of friendship with Coventry Patmore, and through him he presently became known to the Brownings. His personal devotion to Carlyle was also now beginning. Nor did he hold entirely aloof from the distractions of general society. His impressions of a crush are lively, and might have been written by Dickens:-

MY DEAREST MOTHER,-Horrible party last night-stiff-large-dull-fidgety-strange-run-against everybody-know-nobody sort of party. Naval people. Young lady claims acquaintance with me. I know as much of her as of Queen Pomare.¹ Talk. Get away as soon as I can-ask who she is-Lady Charlotte Elliott-as wise as I was before. Introduced to a black man with chin in collar. Black man condescending. I abuse several things to black man, chiefly the House of Lords. Black man says he lives in it-asks where I live-I don’t want to tell him-obliged. Black man asks, (sic)-go away and ask who he is. Mr. Shaw Lefevre-as wise as I was before. Introduced to a young lady-young lady asks if I like drawing-go away and ask who she is-Lady Something Conyngham. Keep away with back to the wall and look at watch. Get away at last-very sulky this morning-Hope my father’s better-dearest love to you both.-Ever, my dearest mother, your most affec. son,

JOHN RUSKIN.²

Ruskin and his wife went also to Court, and the occasions are described in letters to his father:-

PARK ST., 4 o’clock, May 1850.

MY DEAREST FATHER,-I got through excellently well, and I believe did what was right-and I thought that Prince Albert put something

¹ Queen Pomare of Otaheite (Society Islands) was one of the actors in the “Pritchard affair,” which had caused some political excitement a few years before the date of this letter. The Queen had made a treaty with France, providing for the occupation of the island, but Mr. Pritchard, consul and medical man to the Queen, persuaded her to repudiate it and to appeal for English protection.

² This letter has previously been printed in W. G. Collingwood’s Life and Work of John Ruskin, 1900, pp. 122-123, where also the two following letters are given (run however into one, and with some omissions).

[Version 0.04: March 2008]