352. EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 212–214.
Hope End–
Wednesday. [October 1829] [1]
My dear Mr Boyd,
I will write today because I am afraid I may have an opportunity of sending a letter to you tomorrow, & of returning your Basil at the same time. I have now read the oration[s] on Barlaam & Gordius, & the treatise on reading the books of the Gentiles. The homily on the Faith [2] I had read by your desire, before your last letter reached me.
When you say that the Benedictine editor, judging from the style, attributes the Oration on Barlaam, to Chrysostom, I conclude that he had no other except this internal evidence, by which to judge. I wish I knew how you had settled the question in your own mind, before I said anything! and then if I found that you agreed with the Benedictine editor, I would say nothing. As I know nothing about your opinion, & you desire me to say what I think, I will confess, at the risk of being very wrong indeed, that I have read the whole oration out loud, & listened for Chrysostom all the way, & could not hear the sound of his cadences. Was he absent, or was I deaf? Something here & there reminded me of Gregory’s worst manner—I mean the long conceits about the Martyr’s hand, & the way of applying the scriptural quotation, “He teacheth my hands to war & my fingers to fight.” [3] But I have since thought that this ingenious misapplication of scriptural phraseology is not peculiar to Gregory,—that Basil is nearly as much given to it as he,—&, besides, the general style & construction & modulation of the sentences are certainly not Gregory’s. I believe I do not upon the whole, particularly admire this oration. It is elegant,—as you observe; but the elegance is studied, strained, & artificial. It has neither the simplicity of nature, nor the exuberance of genius. It has no energy & vehemence; & its coldness is not dignified.
The Oration on Gordius [4] is written with great spirit & feeling & eloquence. I was delighted to read it, & am delighted to think of it. The only part which I did not quite like, is the repetition about the assembling of the people of Cæsarea. Saving the repetition, the description is fine, & reminded me of something similar in Heliodorus, in his 7th book, I think. The sudden appearance of Gordius too, like that of Calasiris, helps the general likeness. I think that the whole narration is most eloquent & affecting, & forms one of the most interesting & faultless compositions which I have read in this faultless book. Did not you once assure me of Basil’s “absolute perfection”?
I think that the Homily De Fide is very fine; finer as a whole than anything which I have read of Gregory’s on the same subject; considering it partially, (take the word partially in the right sense) not nearly so fine as some things in the Theological Orations. I read your translation over again, immediately after I had read the original, & admired it more than I did when I read it previously. [5] This is a sure proof—is it not?—of the translator’s fidelity & congeniality. Fidelity in translation, without congeniality, would have produced what was Basil but unlike Basil; congeniality without fidelity, would have produced what was the like Basil but not Basil.
The Treatise On reading the works of the Gentiles [6] is very beautiful in many parts—its similes particularly, are brilliant & various & numerous & correct. You desire me to tell you how many Latin authors I find quoted or mentioned in this treatise. Why the number is as great as the number of Latin authors mentioned by Longinus,—except by one.
<…> [7]
You say “Lucretius of course is mentioned.” Of course!– It is natural & proper that St Basil who is recommending to his pupils & disciples those & those only of Heathen writers whose works discover such a piety & purity & elevation as may be considered the reflection of divinely revealed lights,—it is natural & proper that St Basil, the Eulogist of Martyrs, & bishop of Cæsarea, should recommend to his pupils & disciples—the pure & devotional works of Lucretius. Therefore he does quote Lucretius & recommend him to their study & consideration; just as Longinus quotes Bavius & Mævius as examples of sublimity, [8] & urgently directs, to the study of their works, his friend Terentianus. My only wonder is that Basil should be satisfied with quoting the passage, “Nam veluti pueris absinthia tætra medentes &c”, [9] —& that he should not refer to that apposite & devotional one, ending with “Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum.” [10]
As I know the benevolence & philanthropy of your mind, I believe it will give you pleasure, (in spite of your having no personal acquaintance with the inhabitants of Ledbury) to hear that the Church bells are rung there no longer.
Your ever, my dear Mr Boyd,—truly & affectionately,—
E B Barrett.
Finished on Thursday.
I forgot to say that I did not think the Oration on Barlaam [11] written in Basil’s usual style—tho’ the style did not seem to me Chrysostomic. Is it absolutely necessary to attribute the composition to Basil, if it is not attributed to Chrysostom?—— I hope not!—— When I say that the style did not seem to me Chrysostomic, I refer merely to the modulation of the cadences. Where the author speaks of the propriety of dancing on the graves of the saints, & when he compares the soul of the Martyr to stone & iron, he is Chrysostomic. But I cannot get over the absence of the Chrysostomic cadences; I hope you like my word Chrysostomic because I find I have repeated it four or five times in not many more lines!–
Publication: EBB-HSB, pp. 81–83 (in part).
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. Dated by EBB’s comments on St. Basil’s orations, which she had not had time to read when writing letter 351.
2. MPG, 31, 463–472.
3. Psalms, 144:1.
4. MPG, 31, 489–508.
5. Boyd’s translation was published as The Catholic Faith: A Sermon by St. Basil (1825).
6. MPG, 31, 563–590.
7. A little more than one line has been obliterated with loops, apparently by EBB.
8. Bavius and Maevius “belonged to a group of poetasters who criticized Horace and Virgil and incurred their contempt and enmity.” Mævius “was conspicuous enough to induce Horace to write the whole tenth Epode against him” (Oxford Classical Dictionary).
9. “For just as healing children by using foul wormwood” (De Rerum Natura, I, 935).
10. “Such scruples could persuade evil men” (op. cit., I, 102).
11. MPG, 31, 483–490.
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