Correspondence

1662.  EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 65–67.

50 Wimpole Street.

Wednesday. [31 July 1844] [1]

My very dear friend,

Have you expected to hear from me? and are you vexed with me? I am a little ambitious of the first item—yet hopeful of an escape from the last. If you did not know how I am pressed for time,—& how I have too much to do everyday, you wd forgive me for my negligence,—even if you had sent me nectar instead of mountain, [2] & I had neglected laying my gratitude at your feet. Last saturday, upon its being discovered that my first volume consisted of only 208 pages, & my second of 280 pages, Mr Moxon uttered a cry of reprehension, & wished to tear me to pieces by his printers, as the Bacchantes did Orpheus. [3] Perhaps you might have heard my head moaning all the way to St John’s wood! He wanted to tear away several poems from the end of the second volume, & tie them on to the end of the first! I cd not & wd not hear of this——because I had set my mind on having ‘Dead Pan’ to conclude with! So there was nothing for it, but to finish a ballad-poem called “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship” [4] which was lying by me,—and I did so by writing .. i.e. composing, .. one hundred & forty lines last saturday! I seemed to be in a dream all day! Long lines too—with fifteen syllables in each! I see you shake your head all this way off. Moreover it is a “romance of the age,” [5] treating of railroads, routes, & all manner of “temporalities,”—and in so radical a temper, that I expect to be reproved for it by the conservative reviews round. By the way, did I tell you of the good news I had from America the 3d of this month? The “Drama of Exile” is in the hands of a New York publisher,—& having been submitted to various chief critics of the country on its way, was praised loudly & extravagantly. This was however by a private reading, only. A bookseller at Philadelphia had announced it for publication, … he intending to take it up when the English edition reached America: but upon its being represented to him that the New York publisher had proofsheets direct from the author & wd give copy-money, he abandoned his intention to the other. I confess I feel very much pleased at the kind spirit, .. the spirit of eager kindness indeed, .. with which the Americans receive my poetry. It is not wrong to be pleased, I hope. In this country there may be mortifications waiting for me,—quite enough to keep my modesty in a state of cultivation. I do not know. I hope the work will be out this week, .. & then!!—did I explain to you that what “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship” was wanted for, was to increase the size of the first volume, so as to restore the equilibrium of volumes, without dislocating ‘Pan’.? Oh, how anxious I shall be to hear your opinion! If you tell me that I have lost my intellects … what in the world, shall I do then?—what shall I do? My Americans, .. that is, my Americans who were in at the private reading,—& perhaps I myself, .. are of opinion that I have made great progress since the “Seraphim”– It seems to me that I have more reach, whether in thought or language. But then, to you, it may appear quite otherwise, .. and I shall be very melancholy, if it does. Only you must tell me the precise truth, .. and I trust to you that you will let me have it in its integrity.

All the life & strength which are in me, seem to have passed into my poetry. It is my pou stoo [6] … not to move the world, .. but to live on in.

I must not forget to tell you that there is a poem towards the end of the second volume, called ‘Cyprus Wines,’ which I have done myself the honor & pleasure of associating with your name. [7] I thought that you wd not be displeased by it, as a proof of grateful regard from me.

Talking of wines, the Mountain has its attractions, but certainly is not to be compared to the Cyprus. You will see how I have praised the latter! Well—now I must say ‘good bye’ .. which you will praise me for!–

Dearest Mr Boyd’s affectionate

EBB.

PS—Nota bene—I wish to forewarn you that I have cut away in the text, none of my vowels by apostrophes. When I say “To efface,” wanting two syllable measure, I do not write “T’efface” as in the old fashion, but “To efface” full length. This is the style of the day– Also you will find me a little lax perhaps in metre—a freedom which is the result, not of carelessness, but of conviction, .. & indeed of much patient study of the great Fathers of English poetry … not meaning Mr Pope. Be as patient with me as you can. You shall have the volumes as soon as they are ready.

Address: H S Boyd Esqr / 24 (a) Grove End Road / St John’s Wood.

Publication: LEBB, I, 176–178 (as 1 August 1844).

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. This letter is postmarked 1 August 1844, a Thursday.

2. i.e., Málaga, a sweet wine from southern Spain.

3. The Bacchantes, or Maenads, frenzied with wine, dismembered Orpheus and flung his head into the river Hebrus.

4. It was the concluding poem in the first volume of Poems (1844).

5. The subtitle of “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship.”

6. “που στω.” “Place to stand,” from comment attributed to Archimedes. “Give me a firm place to stand and I will move the earth” (see also letter 269).

7. “Wine of Cyprus” was addressed to Boyd; it was included in the second volume of Poems (1844).

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