1697. Thomas Westwood to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 113–114.
Chase Side
Saty. Eveng– [24 August 1844] [1]
My dear Miss Barrett,
Your reply was a great relief to me, for ever since my letter left me, I had been vexing myself with all sorts of remorseful thoughts, for having said any single word that might disappoint or pain you. It seemed such a gratuitous unkindness– But you are not angry with me– Nay, you praise me for my sincerity, so I am more than satisfied, & have sent my vultures to roost. Perhaps, I am scarcely qualified to judge in this matter, or with respect to the degree of progress manifested in the Drama—nor is it likely that our verdicts should agree, for you look upon your former poems as full of faults, & I can see no faults, & would not see them if I could, & certainly there is nothing in the language from which I have received more pleasure—more head-delight, & heart-delights, than from the ‘Seraphim,’ the ‘Poet’s Vow,’ ‘Margret,’ & many others of the kind both in the past & present volumes, for you know my remark did not extend a hair’s breadth beyond the drama. But apropos of your judgments, I am going to be very bold & stretch out my hand for a gift. You say you did not think the ‘Claim in an Allegory’ worthy of page-room– Now I [2] do—(& so do others) so will you give me, an autograph copy of it, that I may give it page-room, & fix it in the book. [3] I have the copy of it in the Athenæum, but I should value one in your own writing so much more—but this at your future leisure—not now—not now–
Thus far—when enter, the Athenæum—the Review is a very kind one—& has pleased me exceedingly. [4] I like its tone. I am especially pleased too with its distinct recognition of that ‘advance’ in power—which I know is a foremost wish of yours. Be sure I shall not quarrel with them, if in the separate notice which they hint at, they should raise the Drama, a good head & shoulders above its elder brother for though I am fonder of the Seraphim, I have some love left for the Drama,—believe me– They have extracted little Ellie too, [5] & that pleased me!–
Now I am going to tell you a story—do not laugh at me, dear Miss Barrett—but have you a double? I will tell you why I ask this queer question. I was talking the other day with an old lady, a relation of mine, & who bears my name—& amongst other matters out of the fulness of her heart, she regaled me with a seemingly interminable ‘catalogue raisonée’ of her former pupils, <she had been a school mistress,> [6] which almost sent me to sleep, but in a sudden she woke me up with a start by beginning to talk of a [“]Miss Barrett– A Miss Elizabeth—Barrett—nay now—a Miss Elizabeth—Barrett Barrett” [7] <to the best of her recollection,> [8] & then came the revelation that she had formerly had a pupil of that name, at Twickenham for a short time—that she was a little girl, with very fair hair, & very, very clever– Now the singularity of the coincidence so struck me that I made up my mind I would be rude enough to tell you the story, and ask you whether it applied to some namesake—unknown, or whether you pleaded guilty to having once been a ‘very little girl’, with ‘very fair hair,’ & ‘very, very clever’– Remember my wish of the sprite—dear Miss Barrett, & believe that I do not desire to make myself an exception at your expense– I wrote because I could not choose but write, on account of what I have told you in the outset, & the Athenæum would have made me write in any case– Our correspondence is becoming ghostly—but this will [be] anything but a “pale white ghost” [9] if I continue to cross the lines– [10]
Believe me, dear Miss Barrett
Very faithfully yours
T. Westwood–
Address: Miss E. B. Barrett / 50 Wimpole St / Cavendish Square / London.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.
1. This letter is postmarked 26 August 1844, the following Monday.
2. Underscored twice.
3. EBB sent him a copy of the poem with letter 1702.
4. For the text of this review, see pp. 320–324.
5. Little Ellie is the principal character in “The Romance of the Swan’s Nest.”
6. The phrase in angle brackets was added as an afterthought.
7. In letter 1702 EBB suggests that this is her cousin, Elizabeth Barrett Barrett (1812–25), who died in London; she was a daughter of Richard Barrett.
8. The phrase in angle brackets was added as an afterthought.
9. See the opening sentence of letter 1695.
10. Westwood has cross-written the last few lines of the letter.
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