Correspondence

1743.  EBB to John Kenyon

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 196–198.

[London]

October 23. 1844.

You cannot think, dearest Mr Kenyon, how pleasantly I was startled by the illusion of your note without a postmark– Of course I thought directly that you were come home, & that I was on the verge of seeing you with my eyes. The “Paris” at the top of the page undeceived me! Still, you are absolutely & in good truth coming home, & I am delighted to meet you at Dover, since I cannot any nearer,—and I agree to wait patiently to the end of all the days you resolve on passing there & at Hastings,—contented with what the gods provide– In the meantime, here is a letter for you to read from Miss Martineau! Passing strange, [1] —is it not? And why is it that my blood seems to run the wrong way as I read it? & that this intrusion into the spiritual world, (which, as I never doubted, murmurs & buzzes on the other side of our shutters of the flesh) thrills me through & through, as something scarcely, perhaps, lawful, in its awfulness.? Her recovery is wonderful, but might be a mere coincidence,—for I understand that recoveries from similar affections are apt (as in Lady Hariett Cock[s]’s case) [2] to be sudden & complete when they take place at all. And you will perceive that she has never yet been cast into the “sleep”; & that therefore her evidence as a subject, [3] ceases to have the same weight—& the probability of magnetism’s being the agency in the cure, sinks in proportion. Send back the letter when you have quite done with it, & when you do not care to show it to anybody more, as Miss Mitford will of course like to see it. Your friend Miss Bayley will like to see it,—will she not? Make what use of it you please.

The New Monthly review is just the thing you call it, [4] —but of course I was not sorry to have it,—because the readers of N.M. Magazines are apt to run all together like sheep. The “Critic” comes out only every fortnight, & has not spoken yet. [5] If it speaks before you come, I will send you the speech. Of no other review, (except a miserable, kind-enough few words in the Metropolitan) [6] have I heard,—but what is better than any review in the world, was a word of Alfred Tennyson’s which was reported to me, through Mr Vennables the barrister, to George who knew the price it wd bear to my apprehension. It was a very kind word; only, being an honest repeater, I must tell you that he found fault with me for “want of harmony,” & was of opinion that I “might, if I tried, get the better of the fault,” seeing (rather, hearing) that I seemed to him to have naturally a good ear. Well—and I had one short letter from America to the effect that the publication did not take place until the fifth of October,—& that by the steamer of the tenth, certain copies & reviews wd be sent to me. No new thing—but everything very kindly & pleasantly said & arranged. Mr Mathews calls his review in the Democratic, [7] yet unseen, “inadequate,”—& asks my pardon for it,—so I expect a little plucking of the beard. [8] Mr Hunter wd say .. “how masculine, literature makes women,”!—at that confusion of “properties,” on my part! Well,—and this is all I think, connected with the books, which I have to tell you. I have had some letters, .. one, for instance, from a young lady who desires me to lay down a course of reading for her,—and one from an “infirm writer”, (for the rest, anonymous) who sends me a new testament with the leaf turned down at the temptation of the devil, & directs me to address myself to a purer & more spiritual singing—from this time forwards. From Mr Moxon I have not heard at all.

All this without telling you that we have heard from our Ægyptians!, .. from Gibralter [sic], after a passage of three weeks which appeared to have weakened none of their spirit of adventure. “Hurrah for Malta” was the last word in dear Stormie’s letter,—and oh!—that letter was a comfort & joy to me beyond expression!– I wish we cd hear again—but the last Malta mail brought no tiding. For myself, I deserve your character of me at Paris. I am very well in the face of the coming winter. I am very well,—only weak & exhaustible. Sometimes I doubt whether it is a new soul or a new body that I want,—but I suspect, upon consideration, that it is’nt the soul. Flush is well in body & soul & responds with emphatic waggings of the tail to your message. Of course, he understood it.

If you are so kind as to write before you come, tell me how you found your relative at Calais. [9] Papa is interested in hearing, & so am I.

May God bless you my dear cousin.

I remain

Most affectionately yours

EBB–

The table is the best of possible tables—I am an optimist in relation to it! Knowing, however, that you wished it, in your kindness, to be really useful to me to the utmost degree of utility, I have had it lowered a little, which has had the effect of heightening its perfection. You see I am forced like the rest of the world, to bring down everything to my level before I can make anything of it,—& my eyes were on tiptoes sometimes, during the first estate of the table, to be able to see into my basket placed upon it. The lowering of it leaves nothing to be desired—& I assure you, the blind is jealous of the admiration of my visitors, who are all sure to see the new table first. And then, I see in it, what they cannot see .. that it is a better table for being the gift of your kindness. How I do write away your patience nevertheless, without sparing you!

Thanks many & earnest for the votes. Mrs Orme is very much obliged, & so am I. [10]

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. Cf. Shelley, Queen Mab (1813), part I, line 8.

2. See letter 1724, note 5.

3. Kenyon interpolated the following line here: “This you will not quite understand. JK.” Apparently, he shared the letter with someone else.

4. The New Monthly Magazine and Humourist reviewed Poems (1844) in the October issue (for the text, see pp. 338–339).

5. As previously mentioned, the review in The Critic appeared on 1 November (for the text, see pp. 369–373).

6. For the text of the review in the October issue of The Metropolitan Magazine, see pp. 335–336.

7. As previously mentioned, Mathews’s review appeared in the October issue of The United States Magazine, and Democratic Review (for the text, see pp. 340–345).

8. Cf. King Lear, III, 7, 35.

9. Perhaps John Curteis, Kenyon’s invalid brother-in-law.

10. See letter 1734, note 8.

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