[Herman Merivale, historian and civil servant, to his brother Charles Merivale.] Long Autograph Letter Signed ('H Merivale'), discussing his activities and writing, and ending with a shrewd assessment of Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

4pp, 4to. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed on reverse of second leaf, with small seal in red wax and postmark, to 'Revd. Charles Merivale | St John's College | Cambridge'. A long letter, with the four pages of text followed by a long postscript at the head of the first page, continuing to the last. An interesting intimate letter, discussing his activities and writing, and ending with aThe letter begins: 'My dear Charles | I still direct from these unfortunate lodgings having been quite unable to find chambers to suit me in which I consider myself particularly unlucky: as all the world except myself appear to have found their way into decent habitations, Neate in particular who has got a very pleasant little set of rooms in Lincolns Inn for almost no rent at all.' He turns to 'Other news', with reference to 'the revisorship', his 'Wiltshire operations', 'a stupid barbarian by name Taunton', 'Mrs. Spring Rice' and her husband (who is 'feasting ministers in his house in Hertfordshire, instead of making up & paying the accounts of us unhappy barristers who are desperately out of pocket by his delay'). He has his 'hands over full of writing', but does not find that he can 'do satisfactorily more than one thing at a time: consequently I undertake a great many jobs more than I am able to perform'. He has 'just finished or nearly so a long paper for Cochrane about the Italian Wars of Charles V.', and has 'also on the stocks one or two small matters for Blackwood: & ought to be in correspondence with Napier, who wants me to select a subject & write for him, but nothing has occurred to me worthy of my genius.' He continues with reference to the Edinburgh Review, the 'Revue des 2 mondes a tolerable Paris journal', and again to his publisher Cochrane. As the letter continues there are references to 'Mrs. Mariott', 'De Morgan' and 'Mr. Frere'. He asks to know what his brother's 'proposals are with respect to Henry Drury'. The postscript gives a shrewd assessment of Dickens's future friend Edward Bulwer-Lytton: 'I have not read much of Bulwer & what I have I greatly despise. Not that I do not agree in many of his public ideas: but there is a mixture of affected philosophy & mortified vanity about him which would be amusing in one chapter but is detestable in 2 volumes - he seems to have aimed at being the most fashionable man in London - a leader in the House of Commons - and a first rate writer, all at once: & to think it very hard that he has not succeeded - Had he addicted himself to one line only the composition of works requiring a mixture of passion & affection, I think he would have come nearer Rousseau & de Stael than any English writer has done.'