As to its reception, or at least the anticipation of it.  Charlotte Bronte bears witness in a letter to the publishers.

“I congratulate you on the approaching publication of Mr. Ruskin’s new work.  If ‘The Seven Lamps of Architecture’ resemble their predecessor, ‘Modern Painters,’ they will be no lamps at all, but a new constellation,—­seven bright stars, for whose rising the reading world ought to be anxiously agape.”

The book was announced for his father’s birthday, May 10, 1849, and it appeared while they were among the Alps.  The earlier part of this tour is pretty fully described in “Praeterita,” II. xi., and “Fors,” letter xc., and so the visit of Richard Fall, the meeting with Sibylla Dowie, and the death of cousin Mary need not be dwelt on here.  From the letters that passed between father and son we find that Mr. John had been given a month’s leave from July 26 to explore the Higher Alps, with Coutet his guide and George his valet.  The old people stayed at the Hotel des Bergues, and thought of little else but their son and his affairs, looking eagerly from day to day for the last news, both of him and of his book.

Mr. Ruskin, senior, writes from Geneva on July 29: 

“Miss Tweddale says your book has made a great sensation.” On August 4:  “The Spectator, which Smith sets great value on, has an elaborate favourable notice on ‘Seven Lamps,’ only ascribing an infirmity of temper, quoting railroad passage in proof.  Anne was told by American family servant that you were in American Paper, and got it for us, the New York Tribune of July 13; first article is your book.  They say they are willing to be learners from, rather than critics of, such a book, etc.  The Daily News (some of the Punch people’s paper) has a capital notice.  It begins:  ’This is a masked battery of seven pieces, which blaze away to the total extinction of the small architectural lights we may boast of, etc., etc.’” On August 5:  “I have, at a shameful charge of ten francs, got August magazine and Dickens, quite a prohibition for parcels from England.  In British Quarterly, under aesthetics of Gothic architecture they take four works, you first....  As a critic they almost rank you with Goethe and Coleridge, and in style with Jeremy Taylor.”

The qualified encouragement of these remarks was further qualified with detailed advice about health; and warnings against the perils of the way, to which Mr. John used to answer on this wise: 

     “CORMAYEUR, Sunday afternoon (July 29, 1849).

     “MY DEAREST FATHER,