The Charles Dickens Letters Project

To BENJAMIN MAUND,1 15 MARCH 1856

MS2 Harriet Nott.

OFFICE OF HOUSEHOLD WORDS

15 March 1856

Sir,

I beg to express my regret that I cannot advise you in the matter to which the accompanying papers refer.3 Absurd as the course officially indicated is, I presume there is no escape from it and that the simple thing you require to do, cannot be done in a less ridiculous manner. I am Sir

Faithfully Yours

CHARLES DICKENS

Benjamin Maund Esquire

• 1. Benjamin Maund (1790-1864; Dictionary of National Biography), botanist and horticulturalist. His principal publications were the periodicals The Botanic Garden (1825-51) and The Botanist (1836-42).
• 2. In W.H. Wills’s handwriting, except for signature. CD was living in Paris during the early months of 1856; he made a short visit to London from 9 March and was addressing letters from Paris again by 19 March.
• 3. Unidentified.