Item Info

Accession Number: 86-2801
Physical Description: [2] pages
Material: paper
Transcription:

Hull, Wednesday Twenty Seventh October
                                                         1858

Dear Horne,
                         I am busily travelling about, and I have been since the beginning of August, and I shall be until the middle of November.
             Your letter has been forwarded to me from London, but not your Tragedy. It has arrived safetly, however, and lies in my desk awaiting my return. You will therefore at once perceive that what I am now going to write, must be wholly irrespective of the Tragedy's merits, which I do not doubt.
                    I cannot discharge the trust you propose to me;-simply because I thoroughly know its satisfactory discharge to be impossible. Here is the state of the Theatres.Buckstone has a Comedy and Farce Company which fills his Theatre with any stock piece he chooses to play. It is rarely worth his while to produce a new Farce; a tragedy (as I know from himself) is wholly out of the question with them. The English Opera House is open for what they call Comedy, and for Burlesque. Drury Lane opens at Christmas for Pantomine, and any cheap thing that can be crammed into the same bill. Charles Kean is open for his "Farewell Season", and has announced his intention of going through his series of revivals and successful plays, and of doing nothing else. There remains but Phelps. I never had more than one negociation with him repecting a Play and its Writer. That transaction began so hopefully, progressed so wretchedly, and terminated so fatally and dismally, that I then resolved that nothing should induce me ever to enter upon such relations with him again. And if I know myself, nothing ever will.
          In this condition of things, I am quite unable to help. You know I would, if I could. I cannot, and I am heartily sorry for it.
                                                                                                         Faithfully Yours
R.H. Horne Esquire                                                                                        CHARLES DICKENS

MssDate: Wednesday Twenty-seventh October 1858
Media Type: Letters
Source: Rare Book Department
Recipient: Horne, Richard Henry, 1802-1884
Provenance: Sotheby, 24-25, 7/ 1972, Matlack RCX Fund.

Bibliography:

Volume 8, pp. 689-690, The Letters of Charles Dickens, edited by Madeline House & Graham Storey; associate editors, W.J. Carlton…[et al.].

Country: Creation Place Note:Hull
Country:England
City/Town/Township:Yorkshire

Call Number: DL H783 1858-10-27
Creator Name: Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870 - Author