353. EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 214–215.

[Hope End]

Saturday night—past eleven [October 1829] [1]

My dear Mr Boyd,

You are wrong in two things—first, in supposing that anything had been said to Papa about Mr Roberry’s capacity for bell-hanging, or honesty towards the Malvern parish—& secondly, in apprehending that Papa was likely to exert any influence at Ledbury or anywhere else, about bells. He is one of the uninitiated, of the profane on this subject—one of those whose amiable motives for being indifferent respecting campanalogy [sic], you once investigated & pointed out to me. If your friend Mr Roberry were to spoil the Ledbury bells for ringing Bobs for ever & ever, Papa would not say a word, or move a step, in an attempt at vengeance. You will sleep tranquilly after this!——

I admire your zeal for science; but, to speak seriously I admire still more the forgiving & disinterested spirit of your letter. Whatever doubt there may be about the authorship of the oration in Basil, there could be none about the authorship of this letter, were it unsigned.

Yours sincere friend

E B Barrett

Address, on integral page: H.S Boyd Esqr

Publication: EBB-HSB, p. 83.

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. Dated by reference to the authorship of the Oration on Barlaam, discussed in letter 352.

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