Correspondence

1174.  EBB to Mary Russell Mitford

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 7, 1–3.

[London]

March 8. 1843

I am grieved my dearest friend, indeed grieved, that you shd be so unwell– May that word have ceased to be true of you today while I am writing!– That you shd have been so is bad enough for me—but I cannot wonder at the effect of all this late agitation & anxiety, [1] .. to say nothing of the trying northeast wind with its two edged sword. My dearest Miss Mitford let me hear by one word how you are, how you continue, or I shall pass my days in Dreamland in a storm. [2] My trick you know, is, .. my trick, learnt from Adversity, is, to imagine the worst when events are uncertain—altho’ my custom is besides, from a sanguine nature, to make the best of evils when they are sure—of all evils, but one– And not to talk of myself when I really do think much of you, .. let me know how you are exactly—do! I desired Crow, by a first impulse, to get some more oysters for you,—but she reminded me that you could scarcely have done with the last– Therefore, not to crush you like Tarpeia, [3] by oyster-shells, I wait for a few days longer, & in the meanwhile can do nothing else you see, except teaze you thus.

It is very happy for me & everybody who cares for you that the hundreds accumulate with such satisfactory promptitude, & that, the debts being paid, your mind will be relieved & room be left for our hopes to move on towards the next bourne of an annuity for yourself. One more thousand—perhaps more—how joyfully it will be welcomed!– And then, my beloved friend, a little occasional composition will be a resource for your leisure & an increase to your income, both at once?—will it not? And then, you need’nt (oh surely you need’nt) think any more of being of the straitest sect of the œconomists & of being buried alive out of sight & hearing in the wilds of Devonshire!– But I promised not to teaze you in this particular way,––& I wont!–

Oh yes, yes!—I disagree with you quite as far as possible on the subject of pathos—but in the first place I agree as near as possible, that the ohs & ahs which often try to pass as such, are apathetic abundantly. After which admission, I confess my surprise at your considering Miss Edgeworth & Miss Austen mistresses in pathos—when the fault of both those excellent writers appears to me (if indeed that can be a fault which is so closely allied to the peculiarity of their excellencies) a defect in passion altogether, through their habit of considering life & humanity on the cold conventional side. ‘Persuasion’, to be sure, has touching passages—and Miss Edgeworth permits you to see, not unfrequently, that she can feel as well as teach, though she chooses to teach. I hope I do not ungratefully misprize the writings of Miss Edgeworth—it wd be rank ingratitude if I did. They are excellent & admirable—but I cannot say, poetical & passionate. The depths of the heart & the heights of Heaven have no part or lot in them—and pastoral Nature is as utterly shut out. Still, after their kind, they are excellent; and I too shd be one-sided if I could not honor them aright—yes, and as I said before, rankly ungrateful if I did not! Why I learnt to read out of those first little books for children, & my child’s heart has beat very fast in the “Cherry Orchard” & for Rosamond’s “Purple vase”! [4] Woe be to me, if I pretended to misprize Miss Edgeworth!

Pathos always appeared to me dependent on one of the very highest faculties of genius: & you surprised me much by saying “I know that it is a disputed point whether it is a high power.” I declare to you that I never knew .. that I cannot remember hearing or reading of such a disputed point– Where is it disputed? Not among the Greeks surely. And Mr Landor, perhaps the most subtle critic living, when his temper & judgment do not clash, considers it so rare a power that he finds it once or twice only, in an age– It is a high & rare power, be sure. Forgive me for saying “be sure”—as if my ‘Be sures’ cd have any weight—but I mean to convey my own sure sense of the fact– And will you answer me one question .. Is not the “Simple Story” [5] more pathetic than “Persuasion”? Does it not seem so even to you?– Is Wilson never pathetic? nor Bulwer? nor Tennyson? nor .... oh—you frighten me!–

But I cannot & must not teaze you any more. I have not seen Mr Kenyon for a long long while—it seems so to me

May God bless you, my beloved friend. Do let me hear exactly how you are. I hope K. too is better. Dear little Flush!– The east wind blows about my words.

Ever your affectionate

EBB–

Dear Mr Kenyon has come, & renders me too late for the post through pleasure. I am glad to hear of Mr Rogers’ tribute to you– [6] Has the Duke of Bedford paid his?– [7] Be well & cheerful my beloved friend, & suffer me to rejoice in your joy. Oh—and I must tell you, in confidence, .. since I told you of Moxon’s first ‘nay’ to me, [8] —that he has sent a very kind message to recall it .. He had reproached himself for the negative ever since, & was ready to ruin himself, if I pleased it, for one poet more!– Not just in those words of course, but in something after their fashion. I am much obliged to him, but I wont catch with both hands at the courtesy. No!– No publishing for me, this year at least!– It was a spontaneous kindness on Mr Moxon’s part—& I wont ruin him for it.

Publication: EBB-MRM, II, 184–187.

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. Possibly arising from the illness of Miss Mitford’s maid, Kerenhappuch, alluded to at the end of the letter.

2. Probably a reference to Haydon’s dream, mentioned in letter 1163.

3. Tarpeia, daughter of the governor of Rome, promised to open the city gates to the Sabines in return for whatever they carried on the left arm, meaning their golden bracelets. Their leader agreed, but punished her perfidy by telling his men to throw their shields as well as the bracelets and she was crushed to death under the accumulated weight.

4. “The Cherry Orchard,” “Rosamond” and “The Purple Vase” were three of Maria Edgeworth’s many stories written for children; the latter was later incorporated into a new edition of “Rosamond.”

5. A Simple Story, published in four volumes in 1791, is the work by which Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson, 1753–1821), a prolific writer, is now best remembered (DNB).

6. In a letter of 26 March 1843 to Miss Harrison, Miss Mitford said that Rogers had contributed £20 to the public subscription (Chorley, II, 5).

7. Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford (1788–1861), a distant relation of Miss Mitford, did subscribe (Chorley, II, 4).

8. In letter 1105 EBB had told Miss Mitford of Moxon’s declining to accept her forthcoming volume.

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