a Petition to Parliament against pulling down Ancient Saxon
buildings, is written in a way so wild as to suggest insanity,
and I have not known how to answer it. At my "Saturday Club" in
Boston I sat at dinner by an English lord,--whose name I have
forgotten,--from whom I tried to learn what laws Parliament had
passed for the repairs of old religious Foundations, that could
make them the victims of covetous Architects. But he assured me
there were none such, and that he himself was President of a
Society in his own County for the protection of such buildings.
So that I am left entirely in the dark in regard to the fact
and Garbett's letter. He claims to speak both for Ruskin
and himself.

I grieve to hear no better account of your health than your last
letter gives. The only contradiction of it, namely, the power of
your pen in this reproduction of thirty books,--and such books,--
is very important and very consoling to me. A great work to be
done is the best insurance, and I sleep quietly, notwithstanding
these sad bulletins,--believing that you cannot be spared.

Fare well, dear friend,
R.W. Emerson




CLXXXIX. Emerson to Carlyle

Concord, 4 September, 1871