Letter from Dimitri Ivanovich Dolgorouki (Dolgorukov), Madrid, to Washington Irving, 1828 August 29 : autograph manuscript signed.

Dolgorouki is all alone in Madrid. Even Madame d'Oubril no longer comes [she has been ill]. The family is in Lla Granja, in the mountains. He says that Irving is offering him resources of which he cannot take advantage: having no social life or suitable activities has no remedy. Mme Antoinette is not well. The family will be returning to Madrid in September, and he sincerely hopes that Irving will come to see them again there before he leaves Spain. Dolgorouki says that Irving doesn't really seem to like Seville, despite the many interesting things he is doing there. Apparently Irving has written something criticizing the women of Andalusia, and Dolgorouki goes on to write a great deal about the character of the Spaniards, whose culture, he says, is far from that of the rest of Europe. They do better when there are serious problems than in everyday life. He says that most people find that there are many more good things in life besides happiness. He has included a letter from Stoffregen, who regrets leaving Spain and is feeling discouraged. He has learned from Gessler that Irving is going to Cadiz. He asks him to tell him about the last painting by Murillo, which took away all his vital energy, resulting in his death. Dolgorouki is collecting any information he can find about Murillo and would appreciate receiving anything Irving writes about him. Dolgorouki says that he has heard from many prestigious people that Irving's work on Columbus has been very well received in Spain. He has enclosed a short article praising it from a new journal that has just come out in Madrid. He is aware that Irving is working on a second edition. He says that he knows that Irving's work on this is not preventing him from also writing about things from the New World--birds of every color. He hasn't heard a word from Wilkie and will write to him directly in London. Madrano[?] says that he is working on trying to gain membership to the Academy of St. Fernando, but the academy itself is much less well known than Wilkie's talent. There has been no news from the army since the taking of the last fortresses [in Turkey]. The Russians are fighting in Shumla [now in Bulgaria--a battle they will lose] and hope to seize Constantinople. He has sent Irving a book to keep and thanks him for sending him a copy of The Vicar of Wakefield.