439. EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 3, 5–7.
[Hope End]
Friday night. [27 January 1832] [1]
My dearest friend,
I have been reading thro’ your oration again,—and something has come into my head about that chronicon business [2] which puzzled me so much the other day. You know Gregory says that what we call time, is eternity with the invisibles, eternity co-extensive with their existences. Now do look at the passage & see whether the whole mystery does not lie in that word sumparekteinomenon, [3] —& whether the next clause of the sentence is not a mere illustration of the meaning contained in it. Is not the word to be translated “extended in a parallel manner”? And then comes the illustration—“as it were, according to some temporal movement, or parallelism”: that is, Eternity is extended in a parallel manner with the angelic or invisible existences, just as in our present state of being, one thing can be moved & extended in a parallel line with another. Diasteema [4] seems to involve the idea of parallelism,—and the general idea seems to me tolerably obvious. Yet it may be “but seeming,” like many things of more consequence to me,—and in that case you will set me right some time before I have lived all the days of man,—& I will kiss the rod [5] as in allegiance bound to do. Mind! not your walking club–!
Mr Curzon very kindly walked here yesterday at three o’clock, & back again in the dark at ten. He told me to tell you that his long absence had much increased his business & engagements here,—otherwise he would have gone to see you immediately. He intends to do so as soon as time will let him. I wish you could have heard him talk about Miss Gibbons whom he “admires more than ever”, & acquits of even believing in the tongues. [6]
Now I am going to tell you Mr Martin’s compliment to the Commelines,—but first of all, I must tell you something about them. Some of them are very amusing sensible sharp-minded people,—and as they dont spare their pricks in making remarks on their neighbours, they are considered not altogether as good-natured as they might be. A short time ago, at a very large & formal dinner-party at Eastnor castle, Mr Martin said, “I cant help liking those Commelines, tho’ I know I shall be damned for it”. The compliment was of course repeated to Miss Commeline who told Bro that her family considered it the very highest they could under any circumstances receive.
Well! I suppose I must not waste your time any more—or I “shall be d——d for it.” If you had Mr Martin’s good habit, I am sure I should!——
Yours affectionately
E B Barrett.
Publication: Diary, pp. 300–301.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. Dated by Diary, p. 211, entry for 27 January. In that entry, EBB mentions enclosing a few lines to Mrs. Boyd, which are not known to be extant.
2. Χρονικον κινημα (“temporal movement”). The passage here discussed occurs in Gregory Nazianzen’s 38th Oration, “In Christi Nativitatem” (de Billy, I, 616), which Boyd had translated.
3. “Stretched out along with.”
4. “Extension.”
5. Two Gentlemen of Verona, I, 2, 59.
6. i.e., the unknown tongues. (See letter 433, note 7 and letter 434, note 9.)
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