Letters From Rossetti 1860-61 On His Marriage

 

Letters From Rossetti  1860-61 On Marriage

After mid 1858, Elizabeth and Rossetti 's fractious quasi engagement and relationship appeared to end abruptly. Until recently it was believed they were estranged until April 1860 when Elizabeth became seriously ill in Hastings, but recent evidence has been unearthed of a travelling holiday together over Christmas 1859 in Warwickshire ( see separate post). 

By April 1860, however Rossetti seems to have been unaware of  Elizabeth's condition- emaciated and gravely ill in Hastings, a town she had previously convalesced in.  Apparently her parents contacted John Ruskin, her previous patron, who in turn alerted Rossetti . Rushing to Hastings and witnessing her condition , a clearly distressed Rossetti was finally spurred on to marry her. Thereafter his constant anxiety about her health is very evident in his letters.

The Cutter, 12-13 East Parade, Hastings 
Rossetti stayed here in 1860 prior to their marriage
Wikimedia Commons 

Before the Wedding: Letters to His Mother, Brother William and Close Friend Ford Madox Brown

12 East Parade, Hastings.

Friday 13 April 1860.

My Dear Mother,

I write you this word to say that Lizzy and I are going to be married at last, in as few days as possible. I may be in town again first, but am not certain. If so, I shall be sure to see you; but write this as I should be sorry that new news should reach you first from any other quarter.

Like all the important things I ever meant to do—to fulfil duty or secure happiness—this one has been deferred almost beyond possibility. I have hardly deserved that Lizzy should still consent to it, but she has done so, and I trust I may still have time to prove my thankfulness to her. The constantly failing state of her health is a terrible anxiety indeed; but I must still hope for the best, and am at any rate at this moment in a better position to take the step, as regards money prospects, than I have ever been before. I shall either see you or write again soon, and meanwhile and ever am



Your most affectionate Son,

D. G. Rossetti.


12 East Parade, Hastings.

Tuesday 17 April 1860.

My Dear William,

Many sincere thanks for your brotherly letter. I assure you I never felt more in need of such affection as yours has always been than I do now. You will be grieved to hear that poor dear Lizzy's health has been in such a broken and failing state for the last few days as to render me more miserable than I can possibly say. The spectacle of her fits of illness when they come on would be heartrending to a stranger even.

There seems to-day to be a slight rally; but till yesterday she had not been able to keep anything—even a glass of soda-water—on her stomach for five minutes, and this has been the case more or less for a long while. She gets no nourishment, and what can be reasonably hoped when this is added to her dreadful state of health in other respects? If I were to lose her now, I do not know what effect it might have on my mind, added to the responsibility of much work, commissioned and already paid for, which still has to be done,—and how to do it in such a case? I am sorry to write you such a miserable letter, but really it does me some good to have one person to whom I can write it, as I could not bear doing to any other than you.

I must still hope for the best; indeed, she has been as bad before in many respects, but hardly all at once as now. Yesterday, owing no doubt to the improvement in the weather, she has taken some slight things—such as beef-tea and jelly —without as yet bringing them up again. I have been enquiring as to a special license, as there seems little prospect of her being able as yet to enter the cold church with safety; but I find this promises so much delay and expense as to be hardly possible. The ordinary license we already have, and I still trust to God we may be enabled to use it. If not, I should have so much to grieve for, and (what is worse) so much to reproach myself with, that I do not know how it might end for me.

I shall have to be in London for a few hours to-day, but really have not the heart to see you just now, though it is some relief to write this. I have to come up to fetch money (which I left at home, expecting to have fetched her back, when I came here), of which at least, thank Heaven, I am not short at present, though I only have it as an advance on work to do. I shall come back the first thing to-morrow morning at latest. You need not talk much about the state of her health, as it is so wretched a subject, at such a moment especially, but I thought I would tell you.



Hastings.

12 EAST PARADE, HASTINGS.

22 April 1860.

MY DEAR BROWN,

... I have been, almost without respite, since I saw you,
in the most agonizing anxiety about poor dear Lizzie's health.
Indeed it has been that kind of pain which one can never
remember at its full, as she has seemed ready to die daily
and more than once a day. It has needed all my own strength
to nurse her through this dreadful attack. Since yesterday
there has certainly been a reaction for the better.
She has been able to get up and come down stairs, and eats
just now though not much without bringing up her food which she
has done till now, generally a few minutes after swallowing it.
At the same time, this improvement is so sudden and unaccountable
that one fears to put full trust in it, but can only hope and wait.
At any rate, it makes me feel as if I had been dug out of a
vault, so many times lately has it seemed to me that she could
never lift her head again. I write you this, but there is no need of
repeating it at full, as it is such dreadful news at this moment.
Emma made a kind offer of coming here when I last saw her, but Lizzy
I find prefers being alone with me, and indeed it would be too painful
for any one to witness. I assure you it has been almost too much
for me.

I may possibly be in London for a few hours to-morrow or next day,
but hardly long enough to see any friends, and of course I shall not
come away at all unless she seems safe for a time. I had wished to
snatch a few days work in London before our marriage, but this
seems daily more impossible indeed it hardly seems as if I should
ever work again.

Yours affectionately,

D. G. ROSSETTI.
May 1860

After the Wedding: Letters to His Mother, Ford Madox Brown.

Wednesday 23 May 1860.

My Dear Mother,
Lizzie and I are just back from church. We are going to Folkestone to-day, hoping to get on to Paris if possible; but you will be grieved to hear her health is no better as yet. Love to all.



23 May 1860.
DEAR BROWN,

All hail from Lizzie and myself just back from church.
I am sorry I cannot give you any good news of her health,
but we must hope for the best. We go to Folkestone this afternoon if
possible with a view to spending a week or so in Paris, and, if we
stay long enough there, I hope Ned and Georgie will join us. ...

Yours affectionately,

D. G. ROSSETTI.

If you are still with Top, as Ned told me you were, best love to the
Topsies.* The Towers of Topsy must darken the air by this.

* Top refers to William Morris

31 October 1861

My dear Mamma,

I am out here painting a portrait, and left Lizzie
staying with the Morrises. Now she writes me that she has
left them in a hurry, making me very uneasy, as I know
there was not a halfpenny of money at Chatham Place. If
at all possible, would you go there, and take her some few
pounds, which I shall be able to repay you on my return
immediately, and will punctually do so? It was impossible
to bring her here with me, both from her very delicate state
and from the very reason that what money we had hardly
sufficed for my own journey. On my return I shall have
earned 50 guineas, and shall certainly be back in a week
from to-day. If not convenient to call, you might send the
tin by post. I would not trouble you, but know William
is away. At present, of course, it makes me very uneasy.