1889-01-16 to Jacques-Émile Blanche

Printed letter signed, Portraits of a Lifetime (1937, pages 296-297), 456 words

[Edited for paragraph breaks, capitalization, spelling and punctuation.]

2 Pump Court, Temple

[Wednesday] January 16th [1889]

My dear Blanche,

The second time I saw Savine he took my breath away by complimenting me on Strang’s etching; it does not astonish me therefore that he refused your drawing.

We are bringing out a new edition of the Confessions; it will contain seventy or eighty pages of new matter — une édition définitive. If you would like to publish your drawing now is the time. Of course it will give me great pleasure to have your drawing, and I beg for your permission to dedicate to you the English as well as the French book. There is no one — I never had a friend for whom I feel the perfect and continual sympathy that I do for you, and I know no one of my generation whose talent I appreciate as I do yours; therefore I should like to inscribe my book to you — with the additions it will be my best book.

It has been an immense success and I have had a controversy with the American publisher in the Athenaeum. I know how to conduct a polemic and I have drawn attention to the book. Several things have happened since I saw you and I think there is little doubt that I shall take a higher position in public estimation than I have yet done.

It will cost about 80 francs to have your drawing reproduced by photogravure: if you consent will you have this done at once? I will pay for the reproduction. It cannot exceed 100 francs; I cannot afford to pay more.

But what on earth made you think that I had finished Don Juan — I have not written a third yet. It seems to me to be coming out very well indeed, and my friends say that it is my best work.

You are, I believe, coming here in April to paint. I hope so for I should like to see you about as much as I should like to see anything. Your success at the Grosvenor ought to have brought you a lot of orders; and no doubt it has.

I have heard nothing of Savine but Charpentier sent me une lettre de faire part announcing the marriage of his daughter. I danced with her at the ball. She seemed quite a child.

Send me the address of Madame Bezet Strauss if you please.

Affectionately yours

GEORGE MOORE

P.S. Write to me at once. I want to know if the drawing can be reproduced in time. My kindest regards to Monsieur et Madame Blanche.