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 PR5263A2T"""""""'""'"^ 
 
 v.1-2 
 
 Letters from John Ruskin to Rev. J.P. Fa 
 
 3 1924 013 542 372 
 
The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013542372 
 
RUSKIN'S LETTERS. 
 
LETTERS 
 
 FROM 
 
 JOHN RUSKIN 
 
 TO 
 
 REV. J. P. FAUNTHORPE, M.A. 
 SSitrt ifi ffifjomas 3. Wiisc. 
 
 ^ 
 
 l^OLUME J. 
 
 London : Privately Printed. 
 1895. 
 
THE IMPRESSION 
 
 OF THIS BOOK IS LIMITED TO A FEW COPIES 
 
 FOR Private Circulation only. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 PREFATORY NOTE . XV 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 yd August, 1877 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 5M September, 1877 . 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 \oth September, 1877 
 
viii CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 2nd October, 1877 . . 8 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 I'^tli October, 1877 . . 10 
 
 LETTER VL 
 
 Heme Hill, London, S.E. 
 
 \\th December, 1877 . . . .11 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 i-]th April, 1878 13 
 
 LETTER Vin. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 yh January, 1880 . . . 15 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 dthjune, i88o . . . 18 
 
CONTENTS. ix 
 
 PAGE 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 %thjune, 1880 20 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 18M December, 1880 . . .21 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 December, 1880 . ... 27 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 2yd December, 1880 . . . .30 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 2^h December, 1880 .... 32 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 31^; December, 1880 . . ■ Z^ 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 2iid January, 1881 . . . -38 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 2.<,th January, 1881 ... 42 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 Q&tk January , 1881 .... 45 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 /i,th April, 1881 . . 49 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 dth April, j88i . . 50 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 i6//z April, 1 88 1 . -52 
 
CONTENTS. xi 
 
 I' AGE 
 LETTER XXII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 list April, iSSi ... -56 
 
 LETTER XXIII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 24M April, 1 88 1 . -59 
 
 LETTER XXIV. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 26M April, 1 88 1 . 61 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 29M April, 1 88 1 . . . .63 
 
 LETTER XXVI. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 \ St May, 1881 .... 66 
 
 LETTER XXV) I. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 irdMay, 1881 ... 68 
 
xii CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 LETTER XXVIII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 l6M May, 1881 ... -70 
 
 LETTER XXIX. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 22nd May, 1881 73 
 
 LETTER XXX. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 gthjmie, 1881 74 
 
 LETTER XXXI. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 1st July, i88i . . . .75 
 
 LETTER XXXIL 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 yd July, 1881 ... -77 
 
 LETTER XXXIII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 8M /uly, 1881 . . yg 
 
CONTENTS. xiii 
 
 PAGE 
 LETTER XXXIV. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 x^thjuly, 1881 ... .81 
 
 LETTER XXXV. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 20th July, 1 88 1 .82 
 
 LETTER XXXVI. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 yd October, 1881 . . 84 
 
 LETTER XXXVII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 l%th October, 1881 . 85 
 
 LETTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 2\st October, 188 1 . . . .86 
 
 LETTER XXXIX. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 ■i%th October, i88r . . . .88 
 
 d 
 
xiv CONTENTS. 
 
 I' AGE 
 
 LETTER XL. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 yd November, 1881 . . 89 
 
 LETTER XI.L 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 20rt Noveinba; 1881 . -91 
 
 LETTER XLIL 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 Zifh November, 1881 . • • 93 
 
 LETTER XLIII. 
 
 Brantwood, Coniston, Lanes. 
 
 27^/2 November, 1 88 1 . 96 
 
PREFATORY NOTE, 
 
 BV THE 
 
 PRINCIPAL OF WHITELANDS COLLEGE. 
 
 On the 2?,th July, 1877, after reading 
 Fors Clavigera, Letter 80, I wrote to 
 Professor Ruskin begging him not to 
 be over anxious or over worried at the 
 slow progress of Good, for supposing 
 the High Master had counted His 
 followers at His coronation d'ipines ! 
 I said, further, that I believed in him 
 and his work, and that I liked deeds 
 better than words, therefore I enclosed 
 a cheque for five pounds. This Mr. 
 Ruskin promptly returned, and I ex- 
 pended the money in the purchase of 
 my first six volumes of his works. I 
 think I have all now except a few of the 
 rarer pamphlets. 
 
 Shortly afterwards 1 asked Mr. 
 
xvi PRE FA TORY NO TE. 
 
 Ruskin's permission to reprint his 
 Letter to Young Girls in my 4th 
 Standard Reading Book. This re- 
 quest was not granted, and it will be 
 seen upon a perusal of the following 
 pages that Mr. Ruskin mistook the 
 meaning of the word " Standard." 
 This will sufficiently explain Letter I.; 
 and, with the addition of a few foot- 
 notes, every other letter, I think, 
 carries its own meaning. 
 
 There are many things in these 
 letters quite worthy of preservation in 
 print, and, as the words of a great man, 
 even the slightest of them are " worthy 
 of memory." I have therefore con- 
 sented to their being printed for private 
 circulation, Mr. Wise having assured me 
 that no copyright will be infringed, and 
 that he is editing these volumes with 
 Mr. Ruskin's sanction and approval. 
 The letters themselves of course re- 
 main my property. 
 
 J. P. Faunthorpe. 
 
LETTERS. 
 
LETTERS 
 
 REV. J. P. FAUNTHORPE. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 August snl, 1877. 
 My DEAR Sir, 
 
 I am sincerely obliged by your letter 
 and gift, but must decline on St. 
 George's part to accept the last because 
 I am sure that you can help us better 
 by retaining all the power you have for 
 meeting expenses connected with right 
 education, in purchase of instruments, 
 engravings, etc., and if you really 
 
4 LETTERS OF 
 
 sympathise with St. George your designs 
 will be continually extending. 
 
 I am not of course able at once to 
 judge of the character of your proposed 
 Standard Books,* but I think the term 
 'Standard' a little saucy, unless you 
 are more sure of your ground than I 
 perceive you to be ; and I am obliged 
 to decline permitting any entire pub- 
 lications of mine to be issued in other 
 forms else I should have them in cheap 
 small print at every book stall. 
 
 Always faithfully yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 * The IVhitelands Series of Standard Reading 
 Books for Girls, 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 September yh, 1877. 
 My DEAR Sir, 
 
 Your very kind and interesting 
 second letter, and the report which 
 accompanied it,* give me much to think 
 of; but I cannot at present think of it, 
 being in every way overworked and 
 overthoughted. 
 
 I am entirely sensible, however, of 
 the privilege of being brought into 
 contact with the teaching in an 
 establishment of this character, and 
 hope to be useful to you. Would the 
 Church of England's principles permit 
 
 * Report of Whitelands College. 
 C 
 
6 LETTERS OF 
 
 you to accept the published series of 
 my books to begin with ? * I am 
 unable, to my sorrow, to take part in 
 any prize-givings, or the like, 
 
 But always most truly yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 The Rev. J. P. Fauntliorpe. 
 
 * Of course we accepted the books, and theynow form 
 part of the College Sunday Library.— J. P. F. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 September loth, 1877. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 Yes, I shall be proud that you should 
 make such a selection*; but please 
 don't put " wise," only necessary. If 
 it be this it must be that. 
 
 Faithfully yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 * A Selection from Letters to Young Girls, which 
 Mr. Faunthorpe proposed to include in one of the 
 Reading Books in the Whitelands Series for Girls, Mr. 
 Ruskin afterwards withdrew his permission, and the 
 selection never appeared. 
 
LETTERS OE 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 October 2nd, l^T]. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 I have been quite beyond all 
 business lately, having had to examine 
 my hills all over for a lecture on them, 
 and the noble things took all the 
 walking and thinking I had in me^ — 
 and I couldn't answer a word, especially 
 to pretty letters and messages like Miss 
 Stanley's.* 
 
 My waistcoats are the things most 
 useful to me needing four pockets, and 
 
 * Miss Stanley, Head Governess at Whitelands 
 College. 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 9 
 
 I believe these are more or less 
 constructible by hand. So I shall 
 send one to Miss Stanley, and I've no 
 objection to a little zigzaging or other 
 aculine ornamentation on them, which 
 I shall proudly manifest to beholders 
 when the wind isn't too cold on 
 the hills.* 
 
 The books will, I doubt not, arrive 
 this week. 
 
 Ever most truly yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 The Rev. J. P. Faimthorpe. 
 
 * After great searching^ of heart the waistcoat was 
 made and sent. — J. P. F. 
 
lo LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 [Brantwood, 
 CoNiSTON, Lancashire. 
 
 October \<jth, 1877.] 
 
 Please no publishing of gift, which 
 is mere nothing to such a school. I 
 am so very glad Miss Stanley likes the 
 Book,* but surely the red and blue 
 ornamentation is easy enough to copy ? 
 Ever faithfully yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 * A manuscript Bible of the fourteenth century, pre- 
 sented by Mr. Ruskin to Whitelands College. 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Herne Hill, 
 London, S.E. 
 
 December \s^h, 1877. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 I chance fortunately to be in town 
 at my pet cousin's, who, as ladies say, 
 is " dying " to see the waistcoat, so I 
 send my servant over to bring it. I 
 should have come myself had I not 
 been laid up with cold, and shall not 
 be long in writing of its reception to 
 Miss Stanley. 
 
 I hope at any rate to wait on you 
 and Miss Stanley a day or two after 
 Christmas, if she will be then at 
 
12 LETTERS OF 
 
 Chelsea. The Report of the Students 
 is indeed one you may be happily 
 proud of. 
 
 Ever most faithfully yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 The Rev. J. P. Faunthorpe. 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 13 
 
 LETTER VI I. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNiBTON, Lancashire. 
 
 April iph, 1878. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 I can yet say nothing to all my dear 
 and noble friends, but what would 
 grieve them, — this illness having been 
 one continued vision to me of my self- 
 ishnesses, prides, insolences, failures, 
 written down day by day, it seemed to 
 me, with reversed interpretation of all 
 I had fondly thought done for others, 
 as the mere foaming out of my own 
 vanity. If only those dear good girls 
 could know how much more I always 
 in truth thought of their doings than of 
 
 E 
 
14 LETTERS OF 
 
 my talkings, and how ashamed I am to 
 cause them any concern, when there 
 are thousands of suffering people, how 
 much worthier than I. And yet how 
 thankful I am to them, and how help- 
 less to say it. I am not allowed to 
 write, but they will believe my gratitude 
 to them, and my sorrow that I have 
 been no more to them, except in fruit- 
 less intention. 
 
 Ever faithfully theirs and yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 15 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 January ^th, 1880. 
 
 My dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 It may be very likely that under 
 present conditions you cannot ' utilize ' 
 at Whitelands one of the most glorious 
 books ever written by any nation in 
 any language. 
 
 But I hope I may some day convince 
 you that you cannot utilize Shakespeare 
 by letting your young women print 
 articles on the character of Ophelia, 
 nor utilize an)fthing for them while they 
 think themselves able to write lives 
 of Dryden, or called upon to do so. 
 
6 LETTERS OF 
 
 ■for is there the smallest reason in 
 ■our giving them my final definition of 
 noney, any more than in your insisting 
 )n the mathematical definition of a 
 ine. But you can perfectly well make 
 hem understand that two right lines 
 ;annot enclose a space, and that three 
 :an ; and that persons who have money 
 n quantities, can order labour in quan- 
 ities, can employ armies in assassina- 
 ion, fools in machine making, whore- 
 nongers in painting lewd pictures, and 
 lorse breeders in destroying the morals 
 jf every boy in England. And that 
 dl these powers of Money have 
 lothing to do with any matters of 
 Exchange. 
 
 And these things you have the power 
 ind intellect to ascertain, if you will. 
 ioM. entirely waste your time in reading 
 ny Lamp of Truth;* you know all 
 hat is in that beforehand, and it 
 :omes to nothing in the end. Master 
 
 * The Seveii Lamps of Architecture-, Chapter ii. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 17 
 
 my Munera Fulveris, and you will be 
 master of many things beside that. 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 N 
 
LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNiSTON, Lancashire. 
 
 \June (sth, 1880.] 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 The long letter is in my mind to be 
 written to you, but I think it will come 
 broken into other forms now, about 
 ugliness, and get into my Scott articles.* 
 
 I do so wish I could come and see 
 the picture frames, and much else. 
 But what you mainly want, and without 
 which nothing will be of real use, is 
 lovely figure picture. I shall be in 
 
 ^ Fiction, Fair and Fold— kwz papers contributed 
 to The Nineteenth Century between June 1880, and 
 October 1881 ; reprinted in On the Old Road, vol. ii. 
 pp. 3-166. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 19 
 
 town next month, and will choose you 
 some, and give them to you with St. 
 George's love — if you will promise to 
 hang up no more beastly Aphides, and 
 Cockroaches, and things.* 
 
 Ever most truly yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 * Mr. Ruskin did send some beautiful drawings, 
 which were duly hung upon the walls at Whitelands. 
 
LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 June Wi, [1880.] 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 It is wet to-day, but I hope to 
 dispatch a nice parcel of pretty things. 
 I'm very happy in the thought of being 
 allowed to do so. Please make the 
 girls understand once for all that if I 
 send Saints or Angels I don't want to 
 make papists of them, but only to give 
 them creatures to think of who have no 
 physical constitutions to bother them, 
 and must be taken as a whole, wings 
 and all, for better or worse. 
 
 Ever gratefully yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 December iZth, 1880. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 You call me 'Master' in private. I 
 know you dare not confess me for one 
 in public; — but — do you know ac- 
 curately and thoroughly why you dare 
 not? 
 
 In your article on Money you quote 
 an entirely common and valueless bit 
 of me, but you repeat deliberately the 
 lie which I have been twenty years 
 fighting against, with my entire heart 
 and soul. You have much more than 
 the power of mind necessary to 
 
 G 
 
22 LETTERS OF 
 
 understand the nature of that Lie. 
 What is it that makes you shrink from 
 using the mind God gave you, in this 
 one direction ? The Lie is, apparently, 
 a very innocuous one — " Money is a 
 Medium of Exchange." 
 
 You might find it out to be a lie 
 merely by defining its words. Ask just 
 ■what is a Medium ? Having defined 
 that, ask farther, when you give a penny 
 for a loaf, where is the Medium 2 You 
 have a penny; Somebody else has a 
 loaf; you exchange the penny for the 
 loaf. But Where's the Medium ? But 
 you might find it out to be a lie by 
 substituting the false definition in the 
 most important passage in which the 
 word Money is used in all human 
 literature. 
 
 " The love of Money is the root of 
 all Evil." Try it with : " The love of a 
 Medium of Exchange is the root of all 
 evil." Will it still be true ? Is it still 
 'Word of God' — in evangelical sense? 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 23 
 
 Is it still word of a wise man, in human 
 and common sense ? Now you have 
 assuredly commonsense enough, and 
 divine spirit enough, to understand the 
 difference between this Lie- definition 
 and the true one. " Money is an order 
 for goods." And you can see that 
 though the Bible sentence will not read 
 so musically, it will read as truly, and 
 with much more meaning, when you 
 substitute this definition •, " The love of 
 Orders for Goods is the root of all 
 Evil." That is to say, the love of 
 Power, to begin with, and of Con- 
 sumption, to end with. The endeavour 
 to get the grasp of Goods, instead of to 
 produce them ? and to get the privilege 
 of devouring them, instead of the 
 faculty of creating them. 
 
 You can see, also, that when you 
 define the terms farther this true de- 
 finition becomes a hundredfold more 
 precious. For you have to define the 
 word ' Goods,' and to distinguish 
 
24. LETTERS OF 
 
 ' Goods ' from ' Evils,' which to do is 
 of all the work proposed in any 
 Training College the precisely Primary. 
 I am going to print this letter in next 
 Fors ; and probably also for separate 
 circulation.* But will you first give 
 me an answer to be printed with it ? 
 And be assured that I should not have 
 written it unless, first, I had trusted 
 much in your friendship, your courage, 
 and your sincerity ; and, secondly — so 
 much admired both the substance and 
 arrangement of this volume of yours 
 on Household Science, as to hope with 
 all my heart that it may become 
 oracular in every English and un- 
 English Household, alike to those that 
 are far off, and to them that are nigh. 
 Ever yours respectfully and 
 
 affectionately, 
 John Ruskin. 
 
 The Rev. J. P. Faunthorjic, M. A. 
 
 * This letter has never yet been printed, either in 
 Fors Clavigcra or separately. 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. It, 
 
 Postscript : — Note to be put to the 
 question ' Where is the Medium ' when 
 the letter is published. 
 
 You would probably at first answer : 
 " It is not a penny, but my knowledge, 
 that I really exchange with the baker 
 for bread, and the penny is the 
 ' Medium ' of that exchange ! " 
 
 But, if the Baker wanted your 
 knowledge, you would not need the 
 penny, nor he take it. He would give 
 you the loaf for the Latin lesson at 
 once. That exchange needs no ' Me- 
 dium,' and can have none. The 
 exchange of English coals for American 
 meat indeed needs the ' Medium ' of a 
 ship, but not of money. If there were 
 none in the world the exchange would 
 still take place, as it does now, and a 
 tally of notches on the masts would 
 express every condition of debt and 
 credit. And you will find, in every 
 other conceivable instance, that money 
 is not a ' Medium of Exchange,' but an 
 
26 LETTERS OF 
 
 ' Order for Goods '; and that, therefore, 
 its reaUty as Money depends on there 
 being Goods to Order, — which your 
 vulgar economist, and your England 
 taught by him, never considers it his 
 or her business to ascertain ! And the 
 essential difference between having a 
 thousand pounds in your pocket-book, 
 or only a penny in your purse, is not 
 that you can become a Mediator of 
 your Exchanges, but that you can 
 become a consumer of more goods. 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 [December, 1880.] 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 You would see that my letter was 
 written hastily, in the first passion of 
 sorrow at finding you still in that net 
 of the Fowler, and amid noisome 
 pestilence. My secretary sent it off 
 before I had revised, either it or your 
 article, and I must throw it into com- 
 pleter form. But the first appeal of it, 
 the main thing, is the question — Why 
 you do not examine into the truth of 
 this mighty thing, this accurate Enemy 
 of God. 
 
28 LETTERS OF 
 
 Your whole article is a series of 
 confusions between Coin, Money, and 
 Goods — not worth separate notice, 
 but leading to such/terrific generaliza- 
 tions as — "if everybody agreed to take 
 tin, tin would do as well, etc., etc.," 
 and — " the use of money is to buy 
 what we want," as if it could not 
 be used to produce it also ; as if it 
 could not be abused, in that fatallest of 
 all ways, for reproducing itself! Not 
 but that, for your simple readers, the 
 immediate purchase is of course the 
 thing to be lectured on first, but how 
 of saving ? how of giving ? The post- 
 script, scribbled yesterday, then copied 
 that you might see it clearer, I send to- 
 day — copy and manuscript draft, in 
 case you like to keep the letter by 
 itself! There are all sorts of verbal 
 niceties requiring to be dealt with in 
 your definitions. ' Means ' in English, 
 has entirely ceased like 'moyen,' to 
 translate ' medium.' That word is 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 29 
 
 properly used in science (and in 
 Spiritualism ?) — but in your article it 
 stands for ' instrument,' method of, way 
 of, a totally different thing. Again, 
 ' Money is the measure of value ' ; con- 
 sider what equivocation is in that 
 sentence. It is the denomination of 
 value, but not the means, instrumentum 
 of measurement. A pint j^iot does 
 measure bulk of liquids, a foot rule bulk 
 of solids, and a pound weight the 
 weight of both. But the thing that you 
 say Money is the measure of, Value? 
 What is that itself? You mean that 
 Money measures Money price — i.e. is 
 the denominator of it. But, what is it 
 that money price measures ? 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
30 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 December 2yd, 1880. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 I am deeply grateful for your kind 
 letters. It, with others equally kind, 
 but not a thousandth part as important, 
 must be only thanked to-day, for 
 Christmas brings more duties than I am 
 able for, and I have only read yet the 
 beginning and end of yours. 
 
 But at once let me pray you to 
 reconsider your first sentence, ' The 
 essence of a lie is its intention.' The 
 essence of being a liar is intention ; the 
 essence of a Lie is — its own falsehood. 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 31 
 
 If you affectionately tell a child that 
 hemlock is good for him, the memory 
 of your intentions may make your regret 
 light, but not the earth on his coffin. 
 I criticize your book for your readers, 
 not for you. And I used the ugly word 
 ' lie ' as the equivalent of a Falsehood 
 — first, because it is shorter and 
 plainer ; secondly, because (not by you, 
 but by those whose teaching you have 
 followed) the Falsehood is intended, 
 deliberate, continual, and in its work 
 Deadly, more than the black plague. 
 
 I can say no more to-day, but am 
 ever, 
 
 Faithfully and affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN, 
 
LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNiSTON, Lancashire. 
 
 December 2^h, 1880. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 I wish you a Happy Christmas. But 
 so I do to the robins, and the wrens. 
 You cannot but have a Thoughtful 
 Christmas, if a happy one, being a 
 Messenger of Christ. And are you 
 not also by vow a priest of the Most 
 High God ? And are you not trusted 
 with the training of the trainers 
 of Christ's little ones in the way they 
 should go — ^govern-esses, to whom, 
 more than to their mothers, England 
 now trusts her girl-souls ? the Mothers 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 33 
 
 being mostly incompetent, and having 
 wings only like butterflies, not hens. 
 
 Governesses, or Schoolmistresses, or 
 teachers in schools of this or that use- 
 ful thing, whatever they are to be, in 
 whatever rank, over whatever rank, 
 what a mighty power this is, given to 
 you ! I do not know, clearly, how wide 
 it is, or how deep. For the lowlier it 
 is, the deeper it is, and the more 
 necessary it should be true and pure in 
 its teaching. The Mistress may learn 
 at any time of her life, but the Ser- 
 vant must at the village school, if 
 ever. 
 
 To you, therefore, if to any ordained 
 man in all this England, comes straight 
 and close home St. Paul's charge * : 
 " Thou, Oh Man of God, flee these 
 things, and follow after righteousness 
 • — I give thee charge in the sight of 
 God who quickeneth all things, and 
 
 * See I Timothy, vi, 11-14. Mr. Ruskin's transla- 
 tion differs somewhat from the authorised version. 
 
34 LETTERS OF 
 
 before Christ who before Pilate bore 
 the good confession, thou who before 
 many witnesses hast confessed the good 
 confession, that thou keep the com- 
 mandment spotless, unrebukable, 
 until the Epiphany of our Lord." Flee 
 these things ! What things ? Keep the 
 Commandment, What Command- 
 ment? Will you look, and tell me, 
 What things? What Commandment? 
 and if you are minded to obey it, or to 
 dispute it ? 
 
 Ever your loving friend, 
 
 John Ruskin. 
 
 P.S. Perhaps this letter may begin a 
 quieter and more accurately arranged 
 examination of the matter at issue 
 between us, than my first hastily 
 written appeal to you. And, for the 
 first step in the scientific part of it, 
 will you tell me why, if Money be a 
 Medium of Exchange, and no more 
 than that, we may not all of us have all 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 35 
 
 we want of it, and equal use of it. 
 Why should not the government issue 
 any quantity ; and why should a miser 
 be looked on as unkind, if the thing 
 he pleases himself in hoarding can be 
 supplied for the asking to everybody 
 else ? Why should any soul of us be 
 poor, if the issuing of bank-notes by 
 the ton would make us rich ? Can a 
 Medium of Exchange in your pocket 
 be rendered useless by putting more of 
 of it in mine ? 
 
36 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 December Tjist, 1880. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 The Camellias are here, and I 
 thank Mrs. Faunthorpe for sending 
 them. 
 
 But I have written to you in weari- 
 ness and painfulness, and I must have 
 answer to the three quite definite ques- 
 tions in my last letter before I speak 
 of any of the matters entered upon in 
 your non- answer of two days ago. 
 You cannot possibly begin the year 
 with any work more pertinent, or more 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 37 
 
 imperative. Very earnestly I wish you 
 health, and power, and peace in its 
 days. And am, 
 
 Your faithful friend, 
 
 John Ruskin. 
 
 The Rev. J. P. Faunthorfe, M.A. 
 
LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire, 
 
 January 2nd, 1 88 1. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 I am most truly grateful for your 
 loving and kind letter. A good deal 
 of what is worst in the bottom of me — 
 and saddest in the midst — had been 
 stirred up by the implication in your 
 former letter that I was likely to engage 
 you in oppositions of science, falsely so 
 called ; and by the reading of the White- 
 lands Annual, which I will not speak 
 of to-day, — but only ask you to add to 
 your present compliance with me the 
 careful reading of paragraphs 120 to 137 
 in the old copy of The Queen of the Air, 
 which perhaps you may like to keep — 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 39 
 
 only you must make some of the girls 
 copy the corrections on a copy * I will 
 send for that operation ; and please let 
 them also copy the enclosed note t into 
 it, and into their own, which I will send 
 also if they hav'n't one. 
 
 I have sent a book % to Whitelands, 
 which, if they could study every word 
 of (I doubt not their willingness) would 
 be an education better than any living 
 queen's. 
 
 Ever yours affectionately, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 \The following is the " Note " referred to 
 in the preceding letter. It is to be 
 observed that the Note is headed 
 " Denmark Hill" although the 
 
 * These corrections were made by Mr. Rusldn on a 
 . copy of the first (1869) edition of The Queen of the Air. 
 They were, however, but trivial, and were made use of 
 by Mr. Faunthorpe when preparing the fourth (1883) 
 edition of the work, which he edited for Mr. Ruslcin. — 
 See The Bibliography of Ruskin^ ^893, vol. i. p. 153. 
 
 t The "Note" referred to follows this letter — post^ 
 pp. 40-41. 
 
 X Virgil s j^nis^ translated into Scottish Verse by 
 Professor Gaiuin Douglas, Bishop of Dtmkeld, T710. 
 
40 LETTERS UF 
 
 letter itself is addressed from Brant- 
 wood. Doubtless it was an old 
 note, written in London at some 
 earlier date, and now for the first 
 time made use of.] 
 
 Denmark Hill, S.E. 
 
 Heal value, as opposed to mere price 
 in market, which is the received value 
 among buyers and sellers of it under 
 particular circumstances. 
 
 The conditions of real money-value 
 may be best understood by supposing 
 the represented property first infinitely 
 large, and then infinitely small. 
 
 Imagine a territory so richly pro- 
 ductive as to require no labour. Every 
 kind of necessary or pleasant food, 
 fruit, or flower, laid up in store or 
 gatherable on the instant, and only a 
 few inhabitants on it unable to consume 
 the thousandth part of its abundance. 
 No one would have to pay for anything 
 but the. trouble of carriage, and for an 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 41 
 
 incommensurably small sum might 
 possess whatever he chose — the value 
 of money being thus infinitely large, 
 and passing through that infinity into 
 nothing. 
 
 Suppose on the contrary the food 
 consumed by pestilence, gradually to 
 the last grain of corn ; the inhabitants 
 would gradually pay more and more for 
 a little food, their whole fortune at last 
 for a handful of corn — and the value 
 of money thus becoming infinitely small, 
 would pass on this side also, as the 
 last food was consumed, into zero. 
 
 Between these two zeros — the use- 
 lessness which signifies that everything 
 may be got without money, and the 
 uselessness which signifies that nothing 
 can be got with it — the real value of 
 money oscillates according to the 
 actually attainable quantity of goods, 
 and the market value of money accord- 
 ing to the caprices and panics of 
 commercial minds. 
 
42 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 January 2^th, 1881. 
 
 My dear Friend, 
 
 The Queen of Air shall be sent by 
 to-morrow's post, and thank you for 
 reminding me, and for all your letter. 
 Very thankfully I will give the annual 
 Proserpina, but not as a prize. I have 
 deep and increasing sense of the wrong 
 of all prizes, and of every stimulus of 
 a competitive kind. There should be 
 a strict and high pass-standard in all 
 skills and knowledges required, but one 
 which it should be dishonourable to 
 fall short of, not a matter of exultation 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 43 
 
 or ground of praise to reach. In all 
 competitions, success is more or less 
 unjust. The best marker for instance 
 means, first, the best eyes. Why should 
 a poor ill-sighted girl strain herself 
 against a hawk ? Let all who have fair 
 sight, learn to mark neatly ; those who 
 have pride in doing supremely well, 
 have enough reward in doing so. And, 
 again, it would not in the least follow 
 that the best marker was the girl who 
 would best enjoy, or use, Proserpina. 
 Do you recollect the pretty story of 
 ' the Bracelet ' in Parents Assistant 1 
 While I intensely dislike all forms of 
 competition, I believe the recognition 
 of uncontending and natural worth to 
 be one of the most solemn duties alike 
 of young and old. Suppose you made 
 it a custom that the scholars should 
 annually choose by ballot, with vowed 
 secrecy, their Queen of May ? and that 
 the elected queen had, with other 
 more important rights, that of giving 
 
44 LETTERS OF 
 
 the Proserpina to the girl she thought 
 likeHest to use it with advantage ? It 
 would be a stimulus to me to get out 
 another volume quickly ! 
 
 I forget what my letter of December 
 24th was. Perhaps I could mend it if 
 you wish really to use it. I have done 
 nothing lately but half-well. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 45 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNiSTON, Lancashire. 
 
 January 2?ith, 1881. 
 
 My dear Friend, 
 
 I am mightily delighted by your 
 concession to my romantic fancies, and 
 greatly interested to know how the thing 
 will work ! Your idea of intrusting the 
 queen with some queenly duties of 
 helping others is very delightful also. 
 In my first endeavour to get this 
 notion realized, it was to be in a 
 country town,* all the school girls over 
 seventeen and under twenty-one being 
 eligible, and the electors to ' be all be- 
 tween ten and seventeen. The queen 
 
 * This was at a girl's school, Winnington Hall, 
 Northwich, Cheshire— the scene of The Ethics of the 
 Dust. 
 
46 LETTERS OF 
 
 was to choose two maiden colleagues — 
 'ministers' rather — whom she would, 
 and with their advice and personal 
 aid was to administer a certain sum 
 annually to the poor of the town, for 
 their better comfort and pleasure. Not 
 parish relief, nor physic, nor coals and 
 blankets, but nice things, and unheard 
 of and unthought of except by the 
 May Queen. I had nearly got this 
 done by a girl who was at one time a 
 very steady disciple of mine, and Rich ! 
 Her relations moved Heaven and Earth 
 to stop it (moved the other place and 
 Earth, I mean) and got it stopped, 
 until the girl fell in love with somebody, 
 who, I suppose, taught her to make a 
 better use of her money, for I have 
 never heard of her since ! * 
 
 * These very interesting letters refer to tiie institu- 
 tion of tlie annual May Queen Festival at Whitelands 
 College, one of Mr. Ruskin's happiest inspirations. 
 Mr. Faunthorije has twice written a detailed account 
 of the proceedings ; i.e., in The English Illustrated 
 Magazine for 'April 20, 1889, and in The Nineteenth 
 Century for May, 1895. Mr. E. T. Cook has also 
 included a chapter upon the suhject (chap, iv., Mr. 
 Ruskin's May Queens) in his Studies in Ruskin, 1890, 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 47 
 
 But I think in the quieter and yet 
 more dignified conditions under which 
 this experiment will be tried at White- 
 lands, it has better chance of success. 
 And for my own part of the business, I 
 will give you the entire series of my con- 
 stafit publications, every year, from the 
 first to the last. This does not include 
 the Seven Lamps^ of which the supply 
 
 pp. 127-139. Mr. Faunthorpe's article in The Nine' 
 ieenth Century was published when thi.s volume was 
 already in type, and includes several extracts from Mr. 
 Ruskin'.s letters here given at length. Mr, Faunthorpe 
 also prints the following Collect '* for the giver of the 
 day's pleasure," which is introduced into the service 
 held each May-day in the College Chapel ; — 
 
 O Lord God Almighty, Lord and Creator of the 
 bodies and souls of men. Maker and InsJ>zrer of the 
 viightiest intellects., we all pray Thee to bless and 
 preserve John Ruskin, to tvkom ive owe the pleasures 
 of this day : stand by him in troubles, so that they 
 may have no power over hivi : let Thy holy angels 
 ei'er gttard him : comfort hiin luith the love of the 
 young, for he is now Thy aged servant : and finally 
 take hivt to Thyself for Jes7is Christ His sake. 
 Am.en. 
 
 The Whitelands College May Queen Festival has 
 been largely copied, and many similar celebrations 
 are now held in various parts of the country. Even in 
 Ireland the idea has taken root, andat the High School 
 for Girls in Cork (whose Head Mistress, Miss Martin, 
 is an old Whitelands governess) a Rose Festival has 
 been established, Mr, Ruskin presenting each year a 
 gold cross to the Rose Queen, together with a number 
 of his books for distribution among her Maids of 
 Honour. 
 
48 LETTERS OF 
 
 is limited, nor Fors* which is not meant 
 for girls— but all the blue-backed ones, 
 with Frondes, the new Stones of Venice, 
 the Bible of Amiens, etc. ; and the 
 queen shall, by necessary rule, keep for 
 herself either Sesame or the Queen of 
 the Air, whichever she likes best ; and 
 the rest she shall give, one book to 
 each of the girls whom she shall choose 
 for it. I return bit of letter, which is 
 really very nice, and I can't much 
 mend it. And I want to know if 
 you've room for some more pictures 
 and things, and if any of the girls can 
 draw pretty well in my sort of way? 
 leaves and so on ? 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 " Although Mr. Ruskin here excluded The Seven 
 Lamps of Architecture ^nA Fors Clavigera. from the 
 series of books promised, both works have always been 
 given. 
 
THE MAY queen's DRESS (fOR i888 
 
 Designed by Miss Kate Greenaway. 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 49 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 April 6^h, 1 88 1. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 It is still winter here, but by count 
 of days the May is coming, I suppose ! 
 I've almost ceased counting them, in 
 this last illness ; but am awake out of 
 the wild sleep once more, and hope 
 that I may still see a May morning in 
 this, and yet another or another, year. 
 I hope the May Queenship is begin- 
 ning to be thought of? I wrote to- 
 day to my publisher to get a perfect set 
 of books ready. 
 
 Ever faithfully yours, 
 
 John Ruskin. 
 o 
 
50 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 April 6th, 1881. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 I am deeply thankful and happy for 
 your lovely letter, and really trust that 
 I shall live to show my sense of the 
 affection, and all else that is best in 
 heart and thought, which you are all 
 giving me. I'll write to Miss Stanley 
 very quickly. 
 
 This one line of thanks is to you and 
 the College, and to say that I've written 
 to-day to a goldsmith in whom I have 
 confidence about a little cross of gold, 
 and white May-blossom in enamel, for 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 51 
 
 the Queen.* I think it will be more 
 proper for the kind of Collegiate queen 
 she is to be, than a crown or fillet for 
 the hair. 
 
 I don't think you need be anxious 
 about me any more just now. The 
 illness has done me very little mischief, 
 and that little mendable in time — nor 
 that a long time, with common pru- 
 dence. 
 
 And so always believe me. 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 * The Cross of Gold has at various times been 
 designed by Mr. Arthur Severn, Mrs. Severn, and Sir 
 E. Burne-Jones. * In" 1888 the May Queen's dress was 
 designed by Miss Kate Greenaway. 
 
52 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 April l6th, 1881. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 It grieves me to answer your kind 
 letters with cavils, but I must say a 
 word or two about Constance. It is 
 surely no proper part of your training 
 at Chelsea to teach your girls to scold ? 
 What else can they learn in King John 
 or his company ? The play is more 
 gross than The Merry Wives of Wind- 
 sor, without one spark of its humour or 
 tint of its grace. It is as ghastly as 
 Richard III. without its power ; and 
 as impossible as Midsummer Nights 
 Dream without the relief of Titania and 
 her Donkey ! It was written for the 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 5 3 
 
 lower English audience, which could 
 be pleased by seeing a child kill him- 
 self by jumping off a wall, and enter- 
 tained by the deliberation whether its 
 eyes should be burned out. There is 
 not one character of honour, strength, 
 or ordinary human intellect in the 
 whole play — except the poor boy, who 
 only speaks a sentence or two beyond 
 the one scene with Hubert ; and the 
 Bastard is a mere libel and blot on 
 English courage and virtue (see his 
 mean speech on Commodity). As for 
 Constance ; if your girls care to study 
 good scolding, they may see it fresh 
 and natural in Billingsgate, without the 
 forced and loathsome death metaphors 
 with which the stage-effect is garnished. 
 Have any of them ever read my Strait 
 Gate * with any vestige of attention ? 
 It is the most important educational 
 piece I ever wrote, and touches, as 
 near as I can word it, all I have to say 
 
 * Pavt v. of Mornings in Florence. 
 P 
 
54 LETTERS OF 
 
 in this my old age concerning the 
 weakness of so many young women of 
 good fiery gifts, " who think it finer to 
 be a sybil or witch than a useful house- 
 wife." But Constance is neither a sybil 
 nor a witch, and never speaks a word 
 or thinks a thought that is either be- 
 coming or availing. 
 
 After this tirade I console myself 
 with conveyance of a piece of, to me, 
 very pleasant news, that Mr. Severn 
 has made a sketch of our hawthorn 
 cross which I think quite lovely, and 
 I've sent it to be put in hand to-day. 
 I send you a Strait Gate in case you 
 haven't one. I would send you a lot if 
 you would give them for lessons. See 
 the account of Rhetoric especially. 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 P.S. — I am afraid Mrs. Severn is 
 taking great advantage of your good 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 55 
 
 sempstresses. I hear to-day of entirely 
 new pillow-cases " cut out," to be sewn 
 up, I suppose, and marked J. R. ! 
 What pride and luxury for us, and 
 Frederick the Great with a wisp of 
 straw ! 
 
55 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 April 2\st, [1881.] 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 In case anything should be already 
 in debate of the May matters (though 
 I hope you're still all at play, and 
 nobody come back), this is just to say 
 that all your letter was delightful to 
 me, and nothing on my part to be said 
 either more, or modifying — except only 
 that I think there's just a soufgon of 
 too much fuss about the matter. I 
 should rather have liked the girls to 
 have chosen their queen in their own 
 time and way, and presented her to 
 the Principal (who should have been 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 57 
 
 studiously kept out of Sight, Know- 
 ledge, and Fear, during the Election, 
 and profoundly in the dark afterwards 
 as to its result ! till May morning) in a 
 crown of primroses and violets at 
 breakfast, the Principal being expected 
 to be her Most Obedient all that day, 
 and then think no more about her ! 
 That would seem to me a little the 
 healthier way; it will be very Awful 
 for the queen, surely, as you have 
 planned it ! but, I suppose, more 
 Morally Tremendous and impressive 
 to everybody. 
 
 But, quite seriously; we all here, 
 Mrs. Severn and I and our sympathetic 
 friends, do wish that all the girls, to 
 the very juniorest, junissesest — what 
 ought the word to be ? littlest, I mean, 
 and foolishest — and that wouldn't be 
 the youngest by any means, as young 
 women are now a days ! and make 
 themselves — down to the youngest 
 anyhow, had a vote ! Surely the little 
 
 Q 
 
58 LETTERS OF 
 
 minds are one element in appreciation, 
 of a very critical sort indeed ? 
 
 Can't write a word more to-day, ex- 
 cept just over leaf, ^nxely Richard II., 
 with Henry's IV. and 5th and 8th, 
 ought to be read always as a part of 
 English History, consecutively by every 
 girl you pass ? 
 
 And Coriolanus is all Roman History 
 B. C. in few words, and mighty for 
 ever-more. Those would be my five 
 plays for boys and girls alike. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 59 
 
 LETTER XXIII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 April 2a^h, i88i. 
 
 Dear Mr. Paunthorpe, 
 
 What a lot of work there is in this 
 Colony book of yours ! I've been writing 
 such disagreeable letters lately that I 
 — won't say your time might, but only 
 ask whether your time mightn't have 
 been better employed ! Anyhow I 
 may say / don't care about Colonies, 
 but it looks a perfect book for people 
 who do. Do you really think I've 
 written no more than i8 books ! You'll 
 have to send me some more labels.* 
 
 * The Whitelands College prize label, inserted in 
 each volume, and signed for many years by Mr. 
 Ruskin. 
 
6o LETTERS OF 
 
 I've ordered the books to be sent 
 directly. The Cross is sure to be 
 ready in good time, I doubt not, but 
 the hawthorn blossom will only be in 
 gold this time ; I couldn't get enamel 
 done safely. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
THE MAY queen's GOLDEN CROSS (fOR ] 
 
 Designed by Mr, Arthur Severn, 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 6 1 
 
 LETTER XXIV 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 [April 26th, 1 88 1.] 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 Yes, somebody must write about 
 Colonies ; let them do it in the 
 Colonies ! How you ever get any- 
 thing done with those Seniors and 
 Juniors to look after, I can't think ! 
 If I were a girl, I'd like to see any- 
 body calling me a ' Senior ' ! ! They 
 should have their faces scratched if 
 I was put in the coalhole for it. Also 
 if I were the Principal, I'm not sure 
 whether I shouldn't ordain that the 
 Queen was to be chosen among the 
 Juniors ! 
 
 R 
 
62 LETTERS OF 
 
 Of course there's to be a Cross 
 every year ! The being the likeablest or 
 nicest girl of i6o is surely a thing 
 which deserves memory, from all who 
 care for her or will care, worth at least 
 so much fastening of it as may be in a 
 little golden trinket ! The books are 
 sure to come all right, but I'm getting 
 nervous about the Cross, and must 
 write by this post about it. So, goodbye. 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 63 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNiSTON, Lancashire. 
 
 April 2.<)th, [1881.] 
 
 My dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 So far from being stupid, or not 
 enough, this letter of yours is as sweet 
 and full as one of our prettiest pools 
 or kindliest streams. 
 
 I am particularly happy in the 
 change to the Juniors for the Queen- 
 ship. It seems to me to avoid the 
 harm of serious mortification, or 
 even anger, in the higher minds. 
 Animis cakstibus, it will answer all 
 prudential conditions in the wise hand- 
 maidens, and image more completely 
 what should be the typical state of 
 
64 LETTERS OF 
 
 young Queens and Kings, having 
 graver advisers. Also, it makes the 
 whole thing less tremendous, more 
 amusing, and in the following year, 
 the position of the Queen much less 
 invidious, or to herself difficult. The 
 little Cross is safe here, and will do for 
 this year J but it may be much im- 
 proved upbn next year when I'm able 
 to see after it in time. It shall be sent 
 so as to reach you registered. I forgot 
 this was Friday ; I had to telegraph 
 for another pattern of the chain, but it 
 is sure to be in time if posted on 
 Saturday. I send a dozen more signed 
 labels ; some come more glibly off 
 than others, and there may be a little 
 choice. I really thought the books 
 would have come to two dozen,* but 
 two or three are out of print. I send 
 only the first volume of Fors, which 
 has pictures, and it includes the rest. 
 The Seven Lamps of Architecture may 
 
 * They invariably totalled more than three dozen. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 65 
 
 be out of print in a year, but I hope 
 The Bible of Amiens will be i7i print, 
 it is much the better book. 
 
 I return the Comparison figures, 
 which are inscrutable by me. Your 
 satisfaction is enough for me, in com- 
 petitive questions. The essays I return 
 also. They seem entirely well done, 
 and would give me more information 
 than I can take in just now were I to 
 read attentively. It afflicts me to find 
 Edward the Confessor objecting to 
 May jollities. In case any friends of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Severn, or of mine, 
 should appeal for admission on Mon- 
 day, I am sure I may trust your kind- 
 ness to allow them to express their 
 sympathy in the proceedings. 
 
 Ever affectionately and gratefully 
 yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 VOL. I 
 
66 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXVI. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNiSTON, Lancashire. 
 
 May \st, 1881. 
 
 But what do the girls know then, if 
 they don't know about the Cross or the 
 Books ! And what a confusion you'll 
 have in their heads all at once ! I do 
 hope no accident will hinder the arrival 
 of the Cross in due time, but in case 
 such a mischance should befall, the 
 girls can always make a little Cross 
 of Flowers which will do for the 
 Coronation. 
 
 I am pleased with the chain now, 
 and think it well worth the little risk 
 of delay. Next year there shall be 
 more than one thorn in the Cross, 
 however, it isn't moral to be all blossom 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 67 
 
 and no prickle. As I count, the labels 
 I sent will be exactly enough. I threw 
 away the others, but, if any are wanting, 
 they can easily be put in afterwards. 
 I hope you will all have a happy and 
 not harmful day.* 
 
 And am, 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 You will be a little happier to know 
 that I am really very well myself, and 
 am painting currant leaves, and have 
 proof of the Dabchick t from Press this 
 morning, and I think it reads well. 
 Perhaps you might read the first para- 
 graphs to the girls to-morrow. I've 
 put the punctuation in, and if you 
 kindly send the scrap to Mr. Jowett, 
 Printing Works, Aylesbury, on Tues- 
 day, it will be in excellent time. 
 
 * "We all did," writes Mr. Faunthorpe. "On the 
 whole, it was the most perfect May Queen Day, just 
 because no one knew anything about it, and the stu- 
 dents elected the right Queen." 
 
 t Love's Uleinie, Lecture iii. The Dabchick. 
 
6S LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXVII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 May zrd, [1881.] 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 How could you find time to write me 
 such a nice letter in your busy day ! 
 But it has made us all here intensely 
 happy. It is very delightful to me 
 that the girls honour each other's 
 beauty, as well as goodness, and I like 
 the three " queen likes her," for reason 
 good. The only thorn to me in the 
 matter is a little ashamedness of giving 
 my own books only. 
 
 I am so grateful to you for those 
 proof corrections, that I presume 
 farther on them. Tliere is no trouble 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 69 
 
 greater to me than the final revise, and 
 as you would certainly be good enough 
 to me to read the book some time or 
 other, might I send you the last revises 
 to be read ? There would be no hurry 
 for passing on to printer, and you 
 should have carte blanche for emenda- 
 tion or correction, so that you would 
 not have any tiresome questions to 
 write about. May I ? 
 
 Love to the queen and her maidens. 
 Ever yours affectionately, 
 
 J. R.USKIN. 
 
70 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXVIII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 May l6th, [1881.] 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 When am I to have my photo- 
 graphs ? * I've been getting more and 
 more excited at every post, and there 
 are two a day even here. I have told 
 my assistant who takes care of the 
 drawings at Oxford, Mr. Crawley, to 
 wait upon you with measures of two, 
 uninteresting, yet more or less 
 decorative and illustrative, bits of oil 
 painting connected with the histories 
 
 * Photographs of Miss Ellen Osborne, the first May 
 Queen, 
 
JOHN R us KIN. 71 
 
 of St. Ursula and Gt. Jerome,* for 
 which I wonder if you can find room, 
 till they go to the — not yet built ! (nor 
 begun ! !) new room at Sheffield ? One 
 is the bit of convent in the distance of 
 Carpaccio's St. Jerotne and the Lion, 
 well and freely copied, and curiously 
 graceful as a piece of monastic living 
 and feeling ; the other is only the 
 window of St. Ursula's room, full size, 
 to show the free yet subtle way in 
 which the leaves of the pinks are 
 painted. I am having a photograph 
 of the whole picture coloured for you 
 which will make this piece of it 
 interesting. 
 
 With these will come a very lovely, 
 though not quite finished, drawing of 
 the south door of the Cathedral of 
 Florence, but I can't tell you about 
 that to-day. This is only to give 
 Crawley credentials to you. I want to 
 
 * These drawings are now in the Rusklri Museuin, 
 Sheffield. 
 
72 LETTERS OF 
 
 make those college rooms and passages 
 more Romantic I these two oil things 
 may go in any passage corner where 
 there's a little light. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 73 
 
 LETTER XXIX. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 May 22nd, [1881.] 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 Photos both quite safe, but I'm 
 rather frightened of my queen. She 
 looks to me between 35 and 38,* and 
 rather as if she would bring back the 
 inquisition and trial by the rack. 
 Photographs are horrid things ! I am 
 so glad you like the Door. I've a lot 
 more things in my head for you. 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 * She was about twenty. 
 
74 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXX. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNiSTON, Lancashire. 
 
 June ^th, [1881.] 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 I send you the Dabchicks* trusting 
 in your kindness to read them for me. 
 I'm dreadfully afraid you'll be able to 
 tell me some of the things I don't 
 want to know ! What Tringa means, 
 or the like. I'll bear it, if you do, as 
 well as I can. 
 
 Ever gratefully yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 * Love's Meinic. Chapter iii. The Dabchick. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 75 
 
 LETTER XXXI. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 July \st, 1881. 
 
 My dear Friend, 
 
 I am so very glad to hear of this 
 success of the May Queen's choice. 
 That Apothecary Gold Medal is a 
 real distinction.* I will send Miss 
 Crouchert my next Froserpi?ia the 
 moment it's out. I am hard busy 
 on it, with The Bible of Atniens, and 
 two numbers of Lovers Meinie, at 
 once. Couldn't help it, had to do 
 
 * The Gold Medal given for Botany by the Apothe- 
 caries' Society, which the College won several times, 
 t The winner of the Apothecary Gold Medal. 
 
76 
 
 LETTERS OF 
 
 appendix of nomenclature. I shall 
 be quieter now the spring flowers 
 
 are over. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. Tj 
 
 LETTER XXXII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 July zrd, [1881.] 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 Your letter to-day is very delightful, 
 but do you mean that the Entrance 
 Examination keeps you ' next ' or ' this ' 
 week, in London ? or shall I write to 
 disturb your repose by the sea at once ? 
 I'm rather glad about the Archbishop,* 
 as I had been pitching into him, or at 
 least pulling his sleeves, about Usury. 
 Ever yours affectionately, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 * Mr. Faunthorpe had related to Mr. Ruskin some 
 of the sorrows of Archbishop Tait. 
 
78 LETTERS OF 
 
 This St. John's, King John's I mean, 
 programme is dreadfully tantalizing. 
 To have seen the May Queen in 
 armour ! 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 79 
 
 LETTER XXXIII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 July %th, [1881.] 
 
 My dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 I am so grieved not to have 
 answered before, but could not. Your 
 piece about the Archbishop was lovely. 
 I partly forgot, partly did not know, of 
 his sorrow. The invitation for recita- 
 tion is lovely too, but I sadly fear I 
 must not be allowed any excitement, 
 or even stirring from home this year. 
 
 I write to-day in haste to say that 
 I've ordered sixty sliding wooden frames 
 to be made, for the college, of my 
 Oxford pattern, to hold little drawings, 
 photos, plates, MS., leaves, etc., such as 
 
8o LETTERS OF 
 
 I can send you presents or loan of. 
 These frames should slide either into a 
 fixed shelf with dentils for them above 
 and below, or, as I have some of mine, 
 and find it handy, into a seat that goes 
 on castors, and may generally be in a 
 window recess or the like, and be 
 pulled about anywhere - — the frames 
 sliding down into it, and the lid 
 cushioned, forming a seat, the frames 
 going into it in two rows. I have told 
 Mr. Williams, from Messrs. Foords, who 
 has made the frames and has my orders 
 to deliver them at Whitelands, to wait 
 on you as early as possible for any 
 orders you might wish to give him about 
 the placing of them. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 
 
 LETTER XXXIV. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 \_July it,th, 1 88 1.] 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 If life were only what it used to be 
 before Noah's time, or even 120 years 
 good, I'd come to Ivy Cottage by 
 return of post. But, alas ! I must use 
 my Autumn at home, for once, and see 
 the thyme and heather at their best. 
 
 If the proof does not come let me 
 know at once, and I'll send you another. 
 There's no hurry as I'm on other work 
 now, and your revision will be every 
 way invaluable to me. 
 
 Ever your grateful, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 Y 
 
82 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXXV. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNiSTON, Lancashire. 
 
 Wednesday \_July 20th, 1881]. 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 Just back from a seaside lodging — saw 
 a sandpiper, and was otherwise blest 
 there. Your charming note just come. 
 I am sure all your emendations will be 
 right, and you shall have all petitions, 
 except the softening down in general. 
 I don't anger my soul nor vex my own 
 lieart, I relieve it by all violent language. 
 Of course if I didn't believe in there 
 being good people about, I should 
 write nothing. All I write now is very 
 seriously written as a last will and 
 testament, and with final hammering 
 
JOHN RUSKIN. 83 
 
 down of nails in the elm, and in what 
 work I leave behind me. If I live 
 any time there will be a good deal of 
 gentle and pleasant soap and water, 
 served up for washing purposes, besides 
 these sputters of sulphur. 
 
 But pray get quit of the nation that 
 these bursts of abuse irritate me. I 
 live in chronic fury only softened by 
 keeping wholly out of the reach of news- 
 papers or men, and only to be at all 
 relieved in its bad fits by studied 
 expression. More when the proof 
 comes, only your letter is here today. 
 Ever your affectionate friend, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
8+ LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXXVI. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 October yd, 1881. 
 
 Dear Mr. Faunthorpe, 
 
 Mr. Ruskin desires me to send you 
 enclosed piece of Gold, in reference to 
 which he will write you in a day or 
 two. 
 
 I am, 
 Yours faithfully, 
 Laurence J. Milliard, 
 
 Sec. 
 
 The Rev. J. P. Faunthorpe. 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 
 
 LETTER XXXVII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNiSTON, Lancashire. 
 
 October l8//t, [1881.] 
 
 My dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 The square bit of gold means that 
 you are an accepted adherent, or out- 
 side worker, of St. George's Company, 
 looked upon by us as our friend, and 
 invited to further cooperation. I am 
 now for the first time thus distinguishing 
 our elect candidates. I hope you will 
 henceforward receive T^e Bible of 
 Amiens, &c., regularly. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
86 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 \_October 2Ut, 1881.] 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 St. George would be poor indeed if 
 he could not give one little bit of gold 
 in acknowledgment for the affection 
 and effort of all a life. I am only 
 thankful to you for accepting it. But, 
 not to be tiresome to you, I will accept 
 your cheque as a contribution to my 
 fund for Amiens photographs, drawings, 
 etc. I've ever so much ready if I 
 could only get it printed ; but the work 
 I'm upon now, peeling a piece of bog- 
 land, requires me to be engineering all 
 day long. 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 87 
 
 The square of gold is only because 
 it is more easily and equally cut so. 
 Indeed I want to see you, but can't get 
 to town till after Christmas. Anent 
 Strait Gate : I scold Florentines for 
 their sakes, but Constance for her own 
 sake. I hope to send some more 
 lovely pictures soon. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
88 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XXXIX. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 October 2%th, 1881. 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 You must not ask me to criticise 
 poetry, nor sympathise with chapel 
 building. What I can do for you, in 
 my own way, I will ; but until you have 
 dealt with the great questions of Money 
 and Usury, I can acknowledge no 
 religious movement as of the slightest 
 interest or importance. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 
 
 LETTER XL. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 November yd, 1881. 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 It is very delightful and pathetic to 
 me, you all enjoying those things so, 
 and thinking so much of the cabinet ; 
 but I am especially pleased that 
 Williams has acquitted himself properly, 
 for I want him to do more work at 
 Shefifield. You know it isn't me, but 
 St. George, who gives the cabinet. I'm 
 going to charge it to the Guild as a 
 inost lovely bit of our best sort of 
 work. 
 
 I couldn't send you proofs of The 
 Bible of Amiens, the thing pressed so, 
 
 A A 
 
90 LETTERS OF 
 
 and I knew pretty well what I was 
 about in //, but not in the Love's 
 Meinie. Very thankful I am to have 
 you under my lee when I'm puzzled. 
 It is nice your keeping of All Saints, it 
 is always a great day for me ; whether 
 I recollect it or not the Guardian 
 Angels work for me in it. 
 
 Ever your grateful, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 91 
 
 LETTER XLI. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 November 20ih, 1 881. 
 
 My dear Queen,* 
 
 Your little note was a great comfort 
 to me yesterday, for I am in a little 
 valley, or glen of shadow, just now, 
 and feel wonderfully tired and cold in 
 it, and don't quite know what's the 
 matter. But a girl's letter always does 
 me good, more especially a Queen's or 
 Maid of Honour's. 
 
 I'm thinking over what next is to 
 come in that cabinet ; but I chance to 
 be among Minerals just now, and I 
 
 * Miss Ellen Osborne, the first May Queen at White- 
 lands College. 
 
92 LETTERS OF 
 
 want you to have a good Mineral 
 Cabinet at Whitelands before long, as 
 soon as I've written a grammar of 
 Crystals for you. Meantime I've sent 
 you to day just seven crumbs of 
 crystallized gold, which, if you will set 
 in order on the little tray, sent also, 
 will be rather a pretty beginning of 
 things. Under a lens No 5 is one of 
 the most delicate pieces ever seen. A 
 series of such things in a very shallow 
 drawer under one plate of good glass 
 is the first thing we must try to achieve, 
 and let me try to manage it under your 
 Majesty's reign, and remain always, 
 Your affectionate and faithful servant, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
 The envelope with the gold is at the 
 bottom of the box, under the cotton. 
 
JOHN R US KIN. 
 
 LETTER XLII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 Thursday, November 2^th, 1881. 
 
 My dear Queen,* 
 
 It's very nice getting these pretty 
 letters of thanks, with a Httle love at 
 the end of each, which one can save 
 up and keep, and it will make ever so 
 much in time, won't it? I've been 
 looking through my books to find some 
 more that would be nice for White- 
 lands, partly to get another letter ! and 
 partly because I am ashamed to have 
 pretty books and never use them, and 
 practically I find that nearly all my 
 books get mildewed on my shelves for 
 
 * Miss Ellen Osborne. 
 
94 LETTERS OF 
 
 want of use. I hope one that I'm 
 sending is pretty safe, for it has always 
 been near me, that's near the fire too, 
 in my study — the Hungarian Noble's 
 book on the wild plants of Hungary. 
 It is done like a gentleman, and there 
 is a certain old Dresden China look 
 about its covers which one doesn't get 
 now a days ! Also the plates are so 
 well yet so simply drawn that they 
 may almost seem for standards of right 
 botanical drawing, and may be copied 
 with extreme advantage. 
 
 The two volumes of Italian birds 
 are very good for modern work, and 
 parts of the plumage are very well 
 drawn. The two thin folios of heaths 
 may interest the botanical class, and 
 are good thorough work. Finally the 
 book on palms is one which I did get 
 so far in using as to rend it all to pieces, 
 and lose most of the text. That's 
 my usual elementary operation, and 
 then I begin to make something of 
 
JOHN RVSKIN. 95 
 
 what's left. But I see well enough I 
 shall never do, or say, anything about 
 palms, and the wrecks of the books 
 may be helpful here and there to the 
 classes. I thought it immensely sweet 
 of your Principal to accept some ruins 
 of the like kind of my own old working 
 books ; please give him my love, and 
 say how pleased I was with his letter 
 as well as yours. 
 
 Ever my dear Ellen, as far as my 
 poor little ' ever ' may reach. 
 
 Affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN. 
 
96 LETTERS OF 
 
 LETTER XLIII. 
 
 Brantwood, 
 CoNisTON, Lancashire. 
 
 November zith, 1881. 
 
 Dear Faunthorpe, 
 
 But has Miss Stanley no fears for 
 my head then ? I'm sure thafs much 
 more likely to be turned than the 
 queen's ! But, as far as I could make 
 out, you had both* been telling her that 
 her letters would only be troublesome, 
 and I was bound for Truth's sake to 
 efface that impression ! What a good 
 habit she has of writing epsilon for e, 
 look at my poor little e above in troubk- 
 
 * Both — i,e. Mr. Faunthorpe, and Miss Stanley, the 
 head governess at Whitelands College. 
 
JOHN RUSK IN. 97 
 
 some ! and I constantly have to pull 
 open my e's afterwards like stiff button 
 holes. 
 
 I have no doubt Mrs. Herringham is 
 right, but I don't know either Ghirl or 
 Poll (it sounds very like an Irish sailor's 
 asseveration ! ) well enough to have 
 much opinion. In either case, re- 
 member the picture is an example of 
 precision in execution only, and neither 
 of colour nor sentiment. To the end 
 of life Ghirlandajo remained the gold- 
 smith and Pollajuolo the anatomist. 
 In case I haven't time to write to-morrow 
 you will, I hope, receive on Wednesday 
 a really valuable gift for the school, the 
 Noble, Half Noble, and Quarter Noble 
 of Edward III. ; only mind they're 
 not to 'buy what you want with,' or 
 whatever you say is the use of such 
 things ! 
 
 You have an awful respect for 
 Reports, and Prizes, and Class lists ! 
 I think it says as much for the Reporter 
 
 c c 
 
98 LETTERS. 
 
 and Examiner as for you when you're 
 
 pleased. 
 
 Ever affectionately yours, 
 
 J. RUSKIN.