Correspondence

947.  EBB to Mary Russell Mitford

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 5, 320–322.

[London]

April 25. 1842

My beloved friend,

How hot it is & how cold! the east wind threading the sunshine through with its black mournful thread. It is scarcely kind to you, beginning to write to you while my heart beats & stops, beats & stops as it does .. uncertain every other minute whether it shall not stop ‘for good & all’ as people say, & have done with me. But I feel farther away from you than usual—I have not heard from you—which is the whitlow’s fault I know & I have not written to you beyond a letter which went staggering on its road to you stupidly & blindly as this one is likely to do—& I must creep a little nearer again for comfort’s sake & love’s too. I am not ill, my beloved friend—dont expect a tragedy from such a prologue! only uncomfortable as in duty bound to an east wind of determined volition.

Did you see a notice of Mr Darley’s ‘Plighted Troth’—the new tragedy? I was writing à propos of tragedies—in the Morning Chronicle? [1] It was by Mr Fox I understand, & confessed the genius displayed in that drama––a confession which cdnt be wrung from friendship & the Athenæum. [2]  Mr. Darley’s tragedy, the ‘Troth’ is considered—but then I remember how his brother had one in Macready’s hands & conjecture it may be his. [3] If you know do tell me whenever I am happy enough to hear again from you.

And that is’nt to say “Write soon if you suffer from writing or not”,—because believe me if you cd hear my heart speak in a whispering gallery you wd never hear such a sound! No—do not write, until the thumb is quite well!—and may it, oh may it be well soon for both our sakes.

I saw Mr Kenyon for a short time the day before yesterday—& Mr Wordsworth does not come to London quite as soon as was in his first intention. Mr Kenyon told me a story which I must tell you though he told me to tell nobody—because you who live so close to whole groves of roses must be sacred to Harpocrates [4] all over– I rely on your secrecy. It is what Mr Wordsworth says of his daughter’s marriage—she having married last year Mr Quillinan, your Mr Quillinan, my Mr Quillinan the author of the ‘Conspirators’. He says “I am satisfied with the marriage, but I really dont see why I should. For my son in law is a Roman catholic—and an Irishman—and a widower—and the father of a family & a beggar”.!! [5]

Mr Kenyon was telling the story one day without names .. as an anonymous gentleman’s reasons for satisfaction with an anonymous son-in-law—when somebody cried out to his consternation, “Why that description can only apply to Mr Quillinan”. Our friend had the presence of mind .. he was “base enough” as he says of himself .. to turn the current of enquiry by asking quietly “Is Mr Quillinan an Irishman? I was not aware & …” Quitte pour la bassesse. [6]

Papa & Set & Occy are gone to Strawberry Hill—& they have a lovely looking day for it indeed, & may forget (having harder hearts than I have) the east wind in the golden sunshine. I am fancying too that dear Dr Mitford may perhaps get out into the garden today—so that .. with such thoughts .. I am not so badly off after all.

Of course you know Mademoiselle de Monpensier’s Memoires. [7] They are most characteristically delightful—yet I am only just now reading them—& the Duc de St Simon’s also. [8] I have a sort of Memoir brain fever at the present season– Dont you think so?

Hard thoughts you have of poor Victoria! [9] And not unreasonably, seeing the evidence, I do admit—while hoping that there may still be some of another character & beyond our access. She gave two hundred pounds to Leigh Hunt I believe, unsolicited. That was well.

Tell me if you can that Dr Mitford’s spirits are better, & that you have heard some soothing account of the family of your poor friend. [10]

I think over & feel over all your sorrows & joys my beloved friend as you permit me to look at them!–

God bless you ever & ever .[.] as long .... oh longer! God forbid that the divine shd depend upon the human .. as long I was going to say as I love you—& that may be as long as the other.

Your EBB–

I have written to Mr Haydon–

Publication: EBB-MRM, I, 399–401.

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. The Morning Chronicle of 21 April reviewed the previous evening’s performance of Plighted Troth, seeing in it “unquestionable marks of power and genius, intermixed with defects of construction and development, that show the hand of an unpractised writer.... We concur, with the audience of last night, in withholding from this drama the meed of unmingled approbation.” The Times of the same date was less generous, saying that the play “was fairly demolished, and, we must add, most deservedly.... There is no doubt that this piece should never have been produced.”

2. The Athenæum of 23 April, in a notice much shorter than that in the newspapers, spoke of “the condemnatory opinion unequivocally expressed at the conclusion” and hoped the play would not be performed again, “for the attempt would be unsuccessful, and only provoke hostility.”

3. The author was Charles Darley, brother of The Athenæum’s contributor. Macready had entertained high hopes for the play, and was surprised by its failure (see letter 931, note 26).

4. In Egyptian and Greek mythology Harpocrates was the god of silence and secrecy. EBB had once before associated him with roses (see letter 692).

5. Edward Quillinan (1791–1851), the author of The Conspirators (1841), a widower with two daughters, had taken Dora Wordsworth as his second wife on 11 May 1841.

6. “Escaped through baseness.”

7. The Mémoires of Anne Marie Louise d’Orléans, Duchess de Montpensier (1627–93) were published in 6 vols. in 1728. She supported unsuccessful efforts to curb the power of Cardinal Mazarin over Louis XIV and consequently spent some years away from court in disgrace.

8. The ideas of Louis de Rouvroy, Duke de Saint-Simon (1675–1755) were surprising for a man of his time and background: greater social equality, availability of education for all, and the abolition of hereditary privileges. His Mémoires were published in 7 vols. in 1788–89.

9. Apparently a reference to a change in the supervision of the royal nursery. Early in 1841, on the recommendation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Queen had appointed a Mrs. Southey to superintend the four nursery staff, but quickly became dissatisfied with Mrs. Southey’s attitude and her inability to control her staff’s squabbles. The appointment was offered to one of the Ladies of the Bedchamber, Sarah, Lady Lyttleton, widow of the 3rd Baron Lyttelton; she accepted on 18 April 1842, and Mrs. Southey was discharged. Miss Mitford would, one assumes, have been made aware of these developments through her friendship with Marianne Skerrett, the Queen’s Dresser.

10. Doubtless Lady Sidmouth, who died the day after this was written.

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