Correspondence

1377.  EBB to Mary Russell Mitford

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 7, 322–324.

[London]

Sept. 12th 1843

My ever dearest Miss Mitford when you think hard things of Miss Sedgewick, cross out of the account that she did not like my Sea Mew. It is more pleasure to me that you shd have thought of talking of verses of mine to visitors of yours, than it is either mortification or surprise that she, full of American curiosities, & interested in every word falling from your lips, should fail at that crisis of time to find understanding or attention for the rhymes of another person below the level of those curiosities. She wanted you to talk of yourself & not read my verses—and very very right she was, as I and all the world would say!–

As for the other sins, the persecutions & quotations & misquotations described by you, certainly I will not plead in favor of them, though I like America better than you do. Of course I am free from your vexations,—& less for the reasons you give, than because I am not high enough to meet that western wind—and for my own low part I feel nothing but a sense of courtesy received, in relation to the people altogether. But I can understand the nature of such vexations,—and how to those who have outlived or, like you, been blasè on the pleasantness of praise & the evidence of reputation, the persecution of admirers may be very nearly as bad & distracting a thing as any other sort of persecution out of the Inquisition or ‘secret Tribunal’. The Americans certainly want refinement—just as they want originality—you see it in their literature everywhere. A real live American I never saw, [1] & I accept your analysis.

As for Araminta & the “pen & ink” generally of England, they are probably, as you say, defective in conventional manners,—but not, I humbly hold, in essential refinement. I refer to no individual,—but as a body, those to whom we owe our literature are surely worthy of our honor & our gratitude—& I honor them much,—& wd prefer the lowest seat among them, to the highest seat at a Duke’s table, or to the light of the countenance of his Almacks Duchess, [2] or even to the parchment-evidence of the conqueror’s blood flowing through my own veins. [3] My dearest friend, I am a better republican than you are– Be sure that I am!– And yet this is nothing to Araminta—nothing in grace to Araminta! for I consider you to be quite right, quite justified, in your intention to shut your doors fast, & shut in your repose. The extract from his letter, & your translation made me laugh broadly this morning; & I do not wonder that it struck you as alarming in its tendencies. Oh shut the door fast. If he should think “with energy” of coming to see you, nothing but a fastlocked door (& shutters) will keep him out!– I doubt however whether he ever “thought with energy” either of Miss Walters or your ‘Bessie’ or the rabbits, .. and I am quite sure that you are wrong in suspecting him of being chiefly attracted by “the richest.” No, no, no!——I strive with you for justice for Araminta. Yesterday Mrs Orme came to dine here, & in the first place, she sate an hour with me; & I felt my way softly & prudently in inquiries about Mr Horne. She has been used to the best society (what is called so) herself, & is a woman of the world both really & obviously. She was asked “if Mr Horne was gentlemanly”—& paused—till I cried out, .. “ah! your silence is an answer”. ‘No’ she said—“I was only silent, because ‘gentlemanly’ is not the precise word by which I shd express him. He has not, I think, ever moved in the highest society,—he lives with literary people—& he is eccentric in manners sometimes, as well as in mind. I think he is a very charming, delightful person, .. but I shd never call him a polished gentleman, because the term is a thing out of his way—he is something better, I think.”

You see she takes half your view, eschewing the other. It is right to say that he is a very great favorite of Mrs Orme’s—& not for literature’s sake, for I really believe that she has not read a line of his writings. Never was anybody more antipoetical than Mrs Orme! A clever woman too,—socially clever,—and with beauty enough to induce, one might imagine, a sense of Beauty more devellopped!

Do tell me how Bearwood stands the siege. [4]

But there was great veracity in confessing the diplomacy about the rabbits! That was double-horse-power candour at least!—though late!

Send away Catiline? shoot Catiline? blame Catiline? And which of my brothers wd do it? Why there is an outcry, as it is, that it’s all Flush’s fault—that Flush is a ‘bully & a coward’—& that his enemy acted like Alexander. [5] But Flush never never more shall associate with him, Alexander or not; and as he is tied up all day, & every precaution will be taken, I hope the danger is over. The poor victim has perfectly recovered; & he barked a sovereign bark of disdain yesterday, as he heard the voice of his enemy down stairs. This Cuban is a savage in the full sense. For some occult reason he has taken a dislike to George—and if he hears George speak near the window, the tiger-roar of his voice is awful to hear. It is, as you say, the roar of a wild beast, with a carniverous jar in it!– These Cuban bloodhounds were used in the old savage times, (when men were wild with the taste of blood, like themselves) to track & run down the Blacks from the caves in the mountains ..

I am interrupted. I must go.

Dearest ever dearest friend

Your EBB.

Publication: EBB-MRM, II, 301–303.

Manuscript: Folger Shakespeare Library and Wellesley College.

1. As noted before, Ticknor claimed to have seen EBB in 1838, but must have confused her with one of her sisters (see letter 1022, note 15).

2. For details of Almack’s Assembly Rooms and the rôle of its patronesses, see letter 710, note 11.

3. EBB’s mother’s family claimed descent from Edward I (see letter 4, note 3).

4. The home of Miss Walters. In letter 1373, EBB had suggested that Horne stay there, rather than inveigle Miss Mitford into asking him to repeat his visit to her.

5. i.e., in suppressing sedition.

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