Letter from Maria Halliday, London, to Madame Blaze de Bury, 1856? July 11 : autograph manuscript signed.

Acknowledging receipt of a letter and expressing her great relief at learning of the improvement in Madame de Bury's health and her recovery from her "past sufferings"; sending her a batch of English periodicals and suggesting she read "what is said about J. [i.e. Jules] Simon's book" [a probably reference to Simon's La Religion naturelle], remarking that there might not be enough of a religious element in it for a Catholic and adding that "there is quite enough of that element for me in the books"; referring her to an upcoming issue of the Saturday review, noting she will "see how narrow minded our clergy are in religious matters" adding "our comfort is, that they are always shown up in this country, & where dissension is so free on all matters, as it is in Engd, they never gain anything by endeavoring to force people to accept, what they don't need to accept."; thanking Madame de Bury for sending her some books, and stating her disagreement with an unnamed writer referred to as "the Count", who, "always seems to me to be a contradiction, for he admires liberal institutions like our own, & yet when he sees the consequences of those liberal institutions, he finds fault with them directly"; asking for Madame de Bury's forbearance in hearing her candid opinions on the matter and commenting on the difference between England and Roman Catholic countries in their prevailing attitudes toward the Church;