1705. EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 124–125.
[London]
Monday. Sept 1 [sic, for 2]. 1844. [1]
My dearest Mr Boyd
I thank you for the Cyprus & also for a still sweeter amreeta, .. your praise. Certainly to be praised as you praise me, might well be supposed likely to turn a sager head than mine,—but I feel that (with all my sensitive & grateful appreciation of such words) I am removed rather below than above the ordinary temptation of vanity. Poetry is to me rather a passion than an ambition—and the gadfly which drives me along that road, pricks deeper than an expectation of fame could do. [2]
Moreover, there will be plenty of counter-irritation to prevent me from growing feverish under your praises, .. & under other praises. And as a beginning, I hear that the John Bull newspaper has cut me up with sanguinary gashes, for the edification of its sabbath readers. I have not seen it yet—but I hear so. The Drama is the particular victim– Do not send for the paper. I will let you have it, if you should wish for it. [3]
One thing is left to me to say. Arabel told you of a letter I had received from a professional critic, [4] —& I am sorry that she should have told you so without binding you to secresy on the point, at the same time– In fact, the writer of the letter begged me not to speak of it, & I took an engagement to him, not to speak of it. Now it wd be very unpleasant to me & dishonorable to me, if after entering into this engagement, the circumstance of the letter shd come to be talked about. Of course you will understand that I do not object to your having been informed of the thing,—only Arabel shd have remembered to ask you not to mention again the name of the critic who wrote to me.
May God bless you, my very dear friend. I drink thoughts of you in Cyprus every day!
Your ever affectionate
Elibet.
There is no review in the Examiner yet—nor any continuation in the Athenæum. [5]
Address: H S Boyd Esqr / 24 (a) Grove End Road / St John’s Wood.
Publication: LEBB, I, 192–193.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. This letter is postmarked 2 September 1844; 1 September was a Sunday.
2. A reference to the gadfly sent by Hera to pursue and torment Io, who had been changed into a heifer by Zeus.
3. For the text of this review, see pp. 330–333
4. i.e., from Chorley, which she promised would be kept confidential; however, she described its contents to Mrs. Martin in letter 1711 without naming him as the author. See letter 1699 for EBB’s response to Chorley.
5. As previously mentioned, the review in The Athenæum, written by Chorley, appeared on 24 August. EBB’s comment is based upon the statement in the review that “A Drama of Exile” and “A Vision of Poets” might be noticed separately. The “continuation” was not forthcoming; however, Chorley wrote another review that appeared in The New Quarterly Review for January 1845 which treated “A Drama of Exile,” as well as some of the minor poems. A review written by John Forster appeared in the 5 October 1844 issue of The Examiner (pp. 627–629); for the text, see pp. 345–348.
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