À propos of what you say about Mr. Congreve, I think you have mistaken his, or rather Comte's, position. There is no denial of an unknown cause, but only a denial that such a conception is the proper basis of a practical religion. It seems to me pre-eminently desirable that we should learn not to make our personal comfort a standard of truth.
Journal, 1867.
June 1 (Saturday).—Wrote up to the moment when Fedalma appears in the Plaça.
June 5.—Blackwood dined with us, and I read to him my poem down to page 56. He showed great delight.
June 26.—We went to Niton for a fortnight, returning July 10.
July 16.—Received £2166 13s. 4d. from Blackwood, being the final instalment for "Felix Holt," and (£500) copyright for ten years.
Letter to Mrs. Congreve, 28th July, 1867.
Again we take flight! To North Germany this time, and chiefly to Dresden, where we shall be accessible through the Poste Restante. I am ashamed of saying anything about our health—we are both "objects" for compassion or contempt, according to the disposition of the subject who may contemplate us.
Mr. Beesley (I think it was he) sent us Dr. Congreve's pamphlet last night, and I read it aloud to George. We both felt a cordial satisfaction in it. We have been a good deal beset by little engagements with friends and acquaintances lately, and these, with the preparations for our journey, have been rather too much for me. Mr. Lewes is acting on the advice of Sir Henry Holland in giving up zoologizing for the present, because it obliges him to hang down his head. That is the reason we go inland, and not to the coast, as I think I hinted to you that we expected to do.
You are sympathetic enough to be glad to hear that we have had thoroughly cheerful and satisfactory letters from both our boys in Natal. They are established in their purchased farm, and are very happy together in their work. Impossible for mortals to have less trouble than we. I should have written to you earlier this week—for we start to-morrow—but that I have been laid prostrate with crushing headache one half of my time, and always going out or seeing some one the other half.