Correspondence

438.  EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 3, 4–5.

Hope End.

Thursday. [26 January 1832] [1]

My dearest friend,

Altho’ I have begun to write upon this halo polleen, [2] I am not going to write a long letter which would exact (or seem to do so) a long reading, & take you away from Gregory. Either a long or a short letter, however, I must write to you today,—and that is the long & the short of it. If you were as cold as I was yesterday on our way home, you would take away the towel & the coat & even the skreen [sic], & enter upon a holy alliance with the fire, as you know, my shoes do sometimes. We met the Miss Berringtons, [3] —& one of them told me that she had heard of your being “metal most attractive” [4] & wondered why she had never seen you. “Does he never walk out? I have seen Miss Boyd, but I never saw him.” Now your principle of general benevolence will certainly make you ‘lift up’ or ‘elevate’ that green curtain of yours, & come more in front of the stage, & gratify people who are moderately curious.

I have been thinking that when you have finished your translation, there could be no harm in trying whether Mr Nisbet [5] would or would not buy the copyright. If he will, you are saved trouble & anxiety in both maximum & minimum,—& if he wont, you are right & I am wrong,—which will be another kind of satisfaction to you. In this way you will have two anchors to depend upon—as Pindar said once, [6] —or two strings to your bow,—as our great great great grandpapas used to say. Besides if Nisbet objects, from some Goth & Vandal reason, to publishing, Hatchard [7] will publish, I dare say,—& if Hatchard wont, there are other booksellers in London. I protest against the Methodists’ Magazine, again & again & again & again, [8] —& never shall be consoled if you are obstinate about it. In the case of Nisbets accepting you, could not you go on publishing a few of the finest of Gregory’s orations, in the same—i.e. the pamphlet form? The labour to you would be very trifling,—& their being bought by the booksellers, would be a security, almost, for their being bought by the public. But we can talk about this. In the meantime, do think about it.

I hope there is not a very great deal of harm in my envying Miss Mushet for her occupation, [9] —because if there is, I have “sinned damnably”, as a clergyman told Papa, he had done, in holding an opinion favorable to Catholic emmancipation. I dont mean to imply––“equal the fault”! I cant help mine,—nor could I help being very very sorry indeed at going away from Ruby Cottage yesterday. It seems to me likely enough that by force of feeling so much pain of different kinds, my nature will become more capable of feeling it acutely than of feeling pleasure acutely. But perhaps it may seem otherwise to me, when I see you again!—— There was a letter today from Papa to Bro who would not read the whole to us,—& the part which he did read, mentioned his return as remaining an uncertainty;—& not a word of business! My love to Mrs Boyd & Annie—& my regards to Miss Mushet. May God bless you my dearest friend! Can I ever cease to be

Your affectionate E B Barrett.

Mr Curzon has not come yet. I dont think I ever told you Mr Martin’s high compliment to the Commelines– But I cant now—for Bro is waiting!——

Address, on integral page: H S Boyd Esqr / Ruby Cottage / Malvern Wells.

Publication: Diary, pp. 298–299.

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. Dated by Diary, pp. 209–211, entries for 25 and 26 January.

2. “Vast sea” (a reference to the size of her page).

3. The Berringtons were a prominent Catholic family, living near Little Malvern Church.

4. Hamlet, III, 2, 110. In this and subsequent Shakespearean quotations, the line numbers correspond to those used in The Riverside Shakespeare (Boston, 1974).

5. James Nisbet, bookseller and publisher, of 21 Berners Street, London.

6. “When furious night-blasts rave, / Two anchors best shall save / The bark” (Olympic Odes, VI, epode 5, trans. J. L. Girdlestone, 1810).

7. John Hatchard (1769–1849), of 173 Piccadilly, London.

8. Despite her objections, Boyd’s translation of “In Christi Nativitatem” was published in The Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, December 1832, pp. 848–861.

9. As secretary/reader to Boyd.

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