SIR THEODORE MARTIN - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 09/10/1857 - HFSID 73067

SIR THEODORE MARTIN
Poet Sir Theodore Martin wrote this letter in 1857 to explain a delay in his submitting an article to Fraser's Magazine and about his wife Helen Faucit's illness. He wrote a biography of Prince Albert and a book of reminiscence of Queen Victoria.
Autograph letter signed "Theodore Martin".4 pages, 5x7¾, 1 sheet folded, front and verso. Manchester, England, Sept. 19, 1857. In full: "My dear Parker We are here at Charles Swain's, where we have been since last Sautrday. The Exhibition takes up most of our time , and as it is nearly seven miles distant, you may grasp that between it & the journey we are pretty well done up. We go to [illegible] on Saturday, where MrsMartin will probably remain some weeks. We were at Harrogate for about 3 weeks before coming here . It did we both much good. Mrs Martin was very unwell indeed, when she went there , so much so indeed that I was quite uneasy about her , but the change and the fine air by degrees wrought a salutary change upon her , &though still weak, she is much better in health and in spirits. We later were terribly low. I found I could not seize a spare moment to write the promised article before I left town, and indeed I was myself most thoroughly done up, and when I began to write after I reached Harrogate, I did not like what I did & destroyed it. Besides it strikes me that about Xmas will be a better time to bring out such a paper, when people are [illegible] & in the way of thinking about theatres - So you must give me grace. I am much better for my holiday, but find my spirits want the excitement & my my body the stimulus of more movement than we can get at these watering places, so I have some thoughts of running abroad for afortnight, [sic] if I find I can leave Mrs Martin pleasantly situated at [illegible] . I shall probably go up the Rhine & from Frankfurt to Berlin Liepzig & Dresden at all events. Ihave [sic] never been at these places &wish to see them. I was very [illegible] to have [illegible] to the [illegible] Festival last week, but could not manage it. You do not say how you have enjoyed your trip &whether you came back better . It is [sic] I fear, too late for Switzerland, [illegible] I should have preferred going there. If the weather be fine I may perhaps change my route to go there. Should I be in twon on my way I will try to see you. What a pity we could not have you together. I enclose the final proof of the Helen&. It will not, I fear do to [illegible] it into two. Can you not give an extra half sheet & take it all into one number. Of Course, I should expect the extra expense to fall upon myself. I am anxious to have the thing published, for Ibelieve [sic] it to be the best [illegible] I ever did. Barstow who recdit [sic], thinks of it very highly& he is agreed [illegible] of such things. Meanwhile is there any objection , as it is paged seap-rately, to getting 25 copies of it thrown off- [illegible], of course, to be seen until it appears, if appear it does, in Fraser? Should have towrite [sic] tome [sic], I shall received here any letter written & posted tomorrow- After that, address to the PostOffice [sic] [illegible]. Aladdin looks very [illegible]. Mrs Martin sends her kindest regard & Iamever [sic] My Dear Parker". "Fraser" is Fraser's Magazine, which ran from 1830 to 1882 and which printed many pieces by Martin. Martin (1816-1919), born and educated in Scotland, practiced law in London but made his reputation as a translator of poetry from Danish, German (Goethe) and Latin (Horace). At Queen Victoria's request, he undertook a 5-volume biography of the late Prince Albert, published 1874-1880. He became a close confidant of the Queen, and later wrote a volume of reminiscences, Queen Victoria as I Knew Her, published privately in 1902 and publicly, with King Edward VII's permission, in 1908. Martin married Shakespearean actress Helena Faucit (1817-1898) in 1851. Lightly toned and creased. Signature and body of letter are light in places but legible. Shwo-through touches signature and body of letter. Body of letter, but not signature, has bled lightly in places but is legible. Light discoloration at bottom edge. Folded twice and unfolded. Otherwise in fine condition.