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Hotel Continental
3 Rue Castiglione
Paris 13th Sept 1880
My dear Jervy
At Strasburg---three days ago---I read the news of poor, dear Gifford's death, and on my arrival here I found your letter announcing the same sad tidings. Your entire letter is very beautiful! I can fully appreciate you feelings, Jervy, after so long a loving intimacy with one so really lovable as Gifford. Great my misfortune not to have known him closer ---although my acquaintance with him covered many years, but as little as I did enjoy this acquaintanceship it was precious to me. He impressed all with the fact that he was a good man. Mary will write to Mrs Gifford---for
whom all our warmest sympathies are quickened, and to whom we three send our loving remembrances. We shall doubly value now the beautiful sketch he made for our album just before we left home.
We have had rather a rough time since we left London. A hurried trip through Germany to see the Passion Play---encountering all sorts of disagreeables---to arrive here all-of-a dust with our best duds not yet arrived from London [where?] they were sent, per petite vitesse two weeks ago. In Germany---where "everyone speaks English or French"---we had great difficulty in being understood. We found hardly one in either town that could speak even decent German. D-n the boors.' But no, they gave us our first good cooking and clean rooms since we left the [steamer?]
except London---where things were tolerable---so I'll recant I forgive 'em. Did you visit Munich? Grand! The sculptures particularly & many superb paintings---as you are aware. A supposed Praxiteles (sleeping Faun)---the finest piece of marble I ever saw; pictures of it give no adequate idea of its grandeur. Hope you have seen it.
The Passion Play---as a whole was one of the most wonderful things imaginable! The ensemble was perfect, but I discovered no individual excellence. See the many characters (some 200---not 500, as the printed descriptions tell) were beautifully and appropriately costumed and drilled in the minutest detail, but to the actor's eye there were many defects
which disturbed the harmony of the picture. The scourging for instance and driving of the money-changers from the Temple, were two examples of very great weakness which afforded splendid opportunities for powerful dramatic effects. Many such chances were lost throughout the wearisome eight hours performance, but as a whole & considering who the actors are---it was certainly wonderful! All tales regarding the impression of this acting on the spectators---sobbing, weeping &c &c, are wild imagings of some enthused novice. There was no such effect whatever, on the contrary---I'm inclined to suspect that most of the audience were very much fatigued , if not bored. Maier the Christus of whose acting so much is said, has beautiful
dark brown hair, very long, is tall, straight and dignified; with a very unsympathetic, sing-song voice; is without feeling and totally without a suggestion of beauty---his face being rather repulsive than otherwise. We were swindled out of our rooms and had the dirtiest hole in that most charming little village assigned us. From Thursday till Sunday night we suffered all sorts of disagreeables & were mighty glad to get back to Munich.
Some Herald chap got hold of me here & talked [Ammergan?] with me & I daresay my opinions will be printed in that Journal. Tell Stedman & Winter what I think of the affair. I wish you knew the latter better---he is full of sympathy, and I believe it would do him good to mix a little with colors & oil. Try him.
We have met many Americans, but sad to say---none that we are very proud to meet. I wrote Lamb before I left London & asked him to drop me a line here, but none has come. When I reach London, Octr 1st, I shall soon
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look up Boughton---but it may be a couple of weeks before I find him. I hope your picture got safely home. I was told that it was well hung, but that it had been better if placed in some other Gallery. I wish you had sent either the "wings of the morning" or come Autumnal leaves. Remember always that in the severest art a touch of "effect" (theatrical, if you will) is necessary. The Frenchman's dying Napoleon knocked Lamb's healthy old Corsican "gallery-west", you know, and I believe that your 'wings of the morning" would have scattered your "clouds" and many cloudy old daubs, out of the Academy. Try again next year---something for the eye, which must be first caught before the buyer's soul (which oft lyeth in the pouch) can be touched.
We have been doing the Hippodrome & theatres here. D-n my awkwardness! That's not meant for your clouds:
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Aside from Coquelin who is really great in exquisite [funnisms?,] I saw no better acting at the Theatre Francois than I saw at Porte St Martin. The French was better, perhaps, but not for me---both tongues were Greek, so far as I could appreciate them, but the acting at both houses was quite equal. There's a great deal of "gammon & spinach", [my?] [cover?], about us theatrical artists; at least I-I-I fear so. At all events it looks so to a mean cuss like me, who pays his francs & takes his choice. [Toss?] me up tonight twixt the Porte and the Francois & I verily believe I should come up heads for the former---always excepting Coquelin of course.
At the "Porte" I saw the same actress ( [Mdm?] Laurent) act the same part nearly 20 years ago, and saw no difference in her acting or appearance. Today I went to Church (St Roch) with Edwina & am awful good in consequence, therefore you will excuse me for not doing as much as usual. Forgive me! Ill do better next time.
Tomorrow we shall begin our tour of inspection about the city & expect to occupy some ten days with sight-seeing, of which I am heartily tired.
Well, my wits are in the dry-rot now, I've told you all I know & have tried to be as jolly as 'tis' possible for me to be, and so---I'll leave Your lordship.
Wife & daughter join me in love to all of you & yours.
Edwin