From M. E. Boole   17 December [1866]¹

Dear Sir,

Thank you sincerely for your kind letter.² You have told me all I wanted to know from you. The criticisms to which I referred were such as seemed to take for granted that all such speculations as yours,—in fact, as it seemed to me, all independent un-theological speculations on Creation as we find it,—must be incompatible with any belief in a moral government of the world. I have always taken the liberty of telling the people who brought such criticisms under my notice, that, in my opinion, the authors of them were simply talking about what they had never examined into. But still, when one is studying alone, & so ignorant too as I am, one gets frightened, & loses faith in one’s own principles. And I thought, for my own satisfaction, I should like to have your assurance that moral & religious faith are things quite independent of theories about the process of Creation. You have given me that assurance and again I thank you.

With sincere wishes for improvement in your health

I remain | dear Sir | Yours truly | Mary Boole