Dato: 5. december 1849
Fra: Richard Bentley   Til: H.C. Andersen
Sprog: engelsk.

29 Broad Street Brighton. Dec. 5, 1849.

My dear Friend,

You must not imagine, because I have not had the pleasure of writing to you that you have been out of my thoughts. They often recur to you; and I can picture you to myself completely. 1 trust since you left us you have been in the enjoyment of health. The whole framework of Society has been unhinged since that time; and afflicted as your noble Country has been (and furough her whole career she has indeed maintained her high renown), England, though not visited directly by slaughtering armies has pined in sympathy at the woes she has witnessed on the whole continent of Europe. Here the mania for railway speculation has caused ruin to masses of the middle classes and to a certain extent this enormous evil yet remains, and must continue for some time longer.

Then, too, we have had the frightful pestilence, the Cholera, which has swept off in London alone 25,000 souls! Among those who have been carried off by this cruel plague, was our mutual dear friend Dc Taylor, whom you will recollect meeting at Sevenoaks. Poor fellow! Re was seized on a Tuesday and died on Wednesday! You will regret to hear that tho' employed by our Government in matters of great confidence and requiring considerable intelligence there is but little chance of anything being done for him by it. lam endeavouring to bring together friends to a public meeting in New Burlington Street to collect a subscription for his widow and 4 children, who are comparatively left destitute. Poor man! he was just about to be appointed to a lucrative office when he was cut off!

By the newspapers I observe that the Danish poet Oehlenschlager has been made a knight by your new Monarch. I hope that he has conferred a similar honor on you, my dear Friend.

Have you been lately engaged in any new work? or are you meditating any thing? The Two Baronesses I regret to say was not successful this, no doubt, was in some measure owing to the total stoppage of business since the last insane outbreak of the French in 1848. Now, however, we appear to be a little recovering from this martial earthquake. Row long this fickle people will let us remain at peace is quite a matter of chance. The tiny little freak of some maniac will set the whole of France in an uproar again. Are they not monkey-tigers.

God bless you, my dear Friend. All around me greet you in the heartiest wishes for your health and additions to your well-earned renown. By the Christmas fire side we shall pledge a bumper to you.

From your sincerely attached Friend,

Richard Bentley.

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