Correspondence

2767.  EBB & RB to William Ware

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 15, 202–204.

Jany 11th [1849] [1]

Dear Mr Ware, Pray dont let it be ‘Sir & Madam’ any more– We have received both your letters & thank you much for them, & would have answered the first, only for the fear of not finding you in Rome & for the hope of seeing you in Florence which you held out as a pleasant affirmative through all the negatives—but now, see, how you disappoint us altogether! Yet the news of your health is so welcome, that we cant be sorry to have this note from Turin– May you grow better & better, & we be so joyful as to know it—there, is a new year’s wish both for yourself & us!– Also, if another wish may follow .. do stay in England till after May, when perhaps, perhaps, we shall be visiting England too—we should be delighted to catch sight of you once more in this old world of ours–

On receiving your letter from Rome I wrote directly to make the necessary enquiries about the Dutch Baron, [2] & I shall transcribe the instructions sent to me by my cousin, to whom, without mentioning names, the enquiries were addressed. “Your friend need not go to Holland. Let him write to the apothecary whose address I send, stating his age, the length of time he has had the attacks, & whether they are hereditary. He should not live very well, never eat veal nor pork, .. not any part of a pig—never drink spirits of any sort, but a couple of glasses either of sherry or good claret. No coffee. He should take regular & moderate exercise, avoid as much as possible all recourse to aperient medecines; sleep with his head very high & without bedcurtains, & take the powders that will be sent, morning and evening, or only in the evening, (let him ask that question). The powders are expensive:—he had better send for enough for three months. The apothecary’s address is,

G Bisschop

Pharmacier Chimiste

Flurrule [3] Burgwal L103.

À la Haye—”

Those are the directions. I have copied them stroke by stroke. One other thing I remember to have heard, that after beginning with the powders my uncle had one rather sharp attack, which the Baron expected, & said would be the last, & which proved to be the last .. unless some very faint return occurred .. which I seem faintly to have heard of also. He is perfectly well at this moment, I believe .. but the Baron’s dynasty seems to have gone out like other royalties—at least, “the apothecary” seems to stand in the place of power. I know nothing beyond what I send to you. Be very sure that it is not an incurable complaint, & that especially for you, dear Mr Ware, with your energy of character & power of throwing your mind beyond the straight circle of the nerves into a serene atmosphere, there is every hope of permanent cure. My uncle was an ordinary man & perfectly prostrated by nervous despair & horror .. yet even he recovered entirely, you see, recovered too from the worst, most frequent, & hereditary species of the complaint. May God bless you! Perhaps you are already well enough to scorn our Baron & his successors in office– So much the happier, in that case!——

I wont be drawn into filling this sheet when my husband sits by me .. he shall do his part today. Write to us & tell us how Paris & Louis Napoleon appear to you. Talking of royalties, is not this the true king-worship, this result of the French election? [4] We have made acquaintance with two American families lately, Mr Story & his wife, & Mr Cranch & his wife .. both interesting to us in many ways, & kindling at your name. America sends us the best of our friends here in Florence, we always say– May England pay you back some of our gratitude!– Ah, but you will find dear Miss Mitford not as well as usual I very much fear, for her accounts of herself have by no means been cheerful lately. In London I should like you to know my relation Mr Kenyon. Will you or wont you?

Your friend most truly

EBB–

[Continued by RB]

Dear Mr Ware,

So we shall not see you after all! My wife will <have spo>ken for us both, on the other side of the page, I feel sure: but the <news of your> amended health is so good, and this new journey so likely to perfect wha<t> has begun, that our own disappointment ought—& shall—go for nothing comparatively. I cannot think, for my life, of any method of making you see the sights of London by means of a finger pointed from Florence,—do call on our dear friend Mr Kenyon, whom we will apprise of the probability of your visit, and you will have the man of men to “render you a reason”, [5] and give you a most pleasant experience, besides, of what goodness & intellect can do by combining to keep heart & head fresh & sound in the old country. Tell him all about my wife—of whom the last .. that is, the present, notices are as good as possible—for this cold winter (—unexampled say the Florentines, as usual—) has done her no harm, and we already begin to fancy a lengthening in the days, and lightening of the year’s burthen. Do not say, nor think, nor dream that we are never again to see each other, as last summer. It is not taking the one advantage fairly to be derived from the chance & change which otherwise distracts mortal arrangements; the wind blowing us from our friends is apt to make a “giro,” [6] and then they & we meet all the more delightedly. Why should we, here, not see America one day? But meantime, the likelihood is greater, to be sure, that some of your family, (which shall be part of you to us) may visit Florence—those daughters, for instance, whose acquirements, as you describe them, would make the pictures and statues & buildings yield purer gold than this fairy California is bestowing on its diggers and rakers, [7] will you remember this? And, whether or no, will you remember us, Dear Mr Ware, as certainly we shall always, always remember you and wish to hear good of you.

Affectionately yours,

R Browning.

Address, on integral page, in RB’s hand: À Monsieur / M. William Ware, / Poste Restante / Paris.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.

1. Year provided by postmark.

2. i.e., Baron Sloët; see letter 2750.

3. Sic, for Fluwelen.

4. Louis Napoleon was elected president of France on 10 December 1848.

5. Cf. Proverbs 26:16.

6. “Turn.”

7. A reference to the California gold rush, which was triggered by the discovery of gold in January 1848 at the site of a sawmill, being built for John Sutter, about 40 miles E. of Sacramento.

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