406. EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 2, 290–291.
Hope End.
Friday. [ca. April 1831] [1]
My dear friend,
In the 9th chapter, 5th verse, of the epistle to the Romans, Chrysostom gives θεος. [2] In the 11th chapter, 27th verse, of the 1st epistle to the Corinthians, he gives ᾿η, not και: [3] and so does my testament edited by Mill. [4]
I forgot to tell you that Moore in his Life of Lord Byron, states respecting the Devil’s Walk that tho’ it is commonly attributed to Porson, it is in fact by Coleridge. [5] Are you incredulous? or is your interest in the composition “fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen,” like Darius? [6] —— Moore’s book was lent to me for a few days by Mrs Ricardo who is now in London,—or I would have sent it to you, that you might read at least some parts. It is a thick quarto; but I read it with so much interest, that it was finished on the day after it was begun,—& I could scarcely dine, or drink tea, or go to sleep, in the meantime.
I had not an opportunity on Monday to speak to you on several points which I put off mentioning till the last. Mrs Boyd told me that you might have your letters read to you even now; [7] & therefore I thought I would send you the information which you desired me to collect from your own folios. As to my continuing to write to you for the next three weeks, it may be convenient to you to receive my letters, & it may not; you may like to hear from me as usual, & you may not. My not asking, has occasioned the evil of my not knowing; but if you do not answer this note, I shall know what to do, or rather, what not to do!– At any rate you will receive two assurances upon trust—1st that there are not many things in the world, which I like better than writing to you—& 2dly that, your doing exactly as you prefer, is one of those things.
Is there anything that I can do for you in the way of writing, or in any other way? If there is, I shall think it kind in you to let me know. I will send Mr Barker’s Demosthenes soon. [8]
Believe me dear Mr Boyd,
Your ever sincere friend
E B Barrett.
Only think of my forgetting the brandy. Perhaps you consider that, equivalent to forgetting yourself—but I hope you do not. Bro is in the very Attic of admiration!——
I have written or intended to write, particularly at large & perspicuously today,—out of compassion to unpracticed & unmicroscopic eyes.
Publication: EBB-HSB, pp. 122–123 (in part).
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. Dated by reference to Moore’s book, which EBB was reading in the preceding letter.
2. “God.”
3. “Or” not “and.”
4. John Mill (1645–1707) devoted thirty years to his edition of the Greek New Testament; despite this, it met with much criticism on account of his limited knowledge of the ancient languages.
5. An entry in Byron’s Journal for 17–18 December 1813 mentions that the inspiration for his own poem, “The Devil’s Drive,” was “The Devil’s Walk,” which he attributed to Porson. Moore, in an editorial note, corrects the attribution (Moore, I, 470–471).
6. “Fallen, fallen, fallen, fallen, / Fallen from his high estate” (Dryden’s “Alexander’s Feast,” v. 4).
7. The Boyds’ lease was due to expire in May, and Mrs. Boyd had left Malvern in search of new lodgings. It was she who normally read Boyd’s correspondence to him.
8. Select Orations of Demosthenes, ed. E. H. Barker (1830).
___________________
