Autograph letter signed : [London], to George Goodin Moulton-Barrett, 1882 May 2.

Telling George that Pen has spent two months in Paris studying modelling and anatomy; writing that he has cast a bust and a statuette in bronze, the former of which has been praised by Professor Alphonse Legros as "étonnant", and that he has pictures at the Academy and Grosvenor: "dear good and absolutely satisfactory fellow, as I most thankfully as well as truthfully can declare him to be"; discussing the way he has refrained from correcting biographical inaccuracies about EBB in articles and books "from a determination not to be drawn into furnishing biographical details on any pretence whatever"; commenting on the pressure that has been put on him, particularly the pressure to authorize publications of EBB's letters; writing that he has resisted this as well, except in the case of Richard Horne, since he felt that EBB herself would have approved of the publication; enclosing a letter as an example of the constant appeals of this sort that he has received over the years (the enclosure has not been preserved); telling George that he possesses hundreds of letters to and from EBB, which he has not read: "I religiously abstain from reading one line of these--as I never was in the habit of doing during the life of the writer,--both of us being determined that a full liberty of speech on paper should be maintained--as would hardly be possible were things to be spoken with a witness. While I live, I can play the part of guardian effectually enough--but I must soon resolve on the steps necessary to be taken when I live no longer--and I complete my seventieth year next Sunday"; writing that he is especially concerned about the letters written to Arabella and Henrietta, which he does not have control over, and which contain material that he feels should be kept secret; bringing this matter to George's attention; writing further of EBB's legacy: "Unfortunately the unscrupulous hunger for old scandals is on the increase--and as the glory of that most wonderful of women is far from at the full--I cannot help many forebodings--which you share with me, I know"; telling him that Millais' portrait of Octavius's children is his best painting of the year, that Pen's portrait of himself sold for a hundred guineas a few weeks ago, and that the two paintings by Pen sold to America recently have been a great success: "You well know whose heart would have been rejoiced at this besides mine."