Correspondence

1751.  EBB to Edward Moxon

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 209–210.

50 Wimpole Street

November 3. 1844–

My dear Sir,

I am obliged to apply to you for four more copies of the Poems, which I shd be glad if you wd give directions to be sent to me today–

And I thank you for your attention in sending me the ‘Critic,’—which does its operating however, somewhat ungently .. or I am inclined to think so. Blackwood leaves me grateful, [1] —having perhaps exhausted upon poor Mr Patmore, all its power of being cruel & bitter. [2] As you were so kind as to send me Mr Patmore’s poems on their first appearance, [3] I may tell you how sorry & angry I was about that intemperate article, & how little it seemed to me justified or called for. According to my own impression he has a faculty & power, somewhat rawly & imperfectly developped indeed now, but which will be recognized in their future workings, as the poet and the man matures. I venture to say this to you as you sent me the book. Very few writers who are as young as Mr Patmore is represented, have ever, in the history of literature, displayed so much freedom & individuality as we find in some of his pages.

But I must not occupy your time. Tait also, has been very gracious to my book. [4]

Believe me, dear Sir,

faithfully yours

Elizabeth B Barrett.

Address: Edward Moxon Esqr / Dover Street.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. For the text of these reviews, see Appendix III.

2. EBB is referring to the review of Patmore’s Poems in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine (September 1844, no. 347, pp. 331–342). The general tone of the notice is evidenced in the closing sentence: “His poetry (thank Heaven!) cannot corrupt into anything worse than itself.”

3. See Reconstruction, A1823.

4. For the text of this review, see pp. 363–368.

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