540. EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 3, 196–197.
[London]
Friday 14th October. [1836] [1]
My dear friend,
Be as little angry with me as you can. I have not been very well for a day or two, & shall enjoy a visit to you on Monday so much more than I shall be able to do today, that I will ask you to forgive my not going to you this week and to receive me kindly on that day instead—provided you know, it is not wet!
The Αχαιιδες approach the Αχαιοι [2] more tremblingly than usual, with the New Monthly Magazine in their hands. Now pray dont annoy yourself by reading a single word which you would rather not read except for the sake of being kind to me. And my prophecy is, that even by annoying yourself & making a strenuous effort, the whole force of friendship would not carry you down the first page. Georgie says, you want to know the verdict of the Athenæum. That paper unfortunately has been lent out of the house; but my memory enables me to send you the words very correctly I think. After some observations on other periodicals, the writer goes on to say—“The New Monthly Magazine has not one heavy article. It is rich in poetry; including some fine sonnets by the corn law Rhymer, [3] and a fine although too dreamy ballad, The Poet’s Vow. We are almost tempted to pause and criticise the work of a writer of so much inspiration & promise as the author of this poem, & exhort him once again to greater clearness of expression & less quaintness in the choice of his phraseology: but this is not the time or place for digression.” [4]
You see my critic has condemned me with a very gracious countenance. Do put on your’s—
& believe me
affectionately yours
E B Barrett.
I forgot to say that you surprised & pleased me at the same time, by your praise of my seamew!—— [5]
Love to Annie! We were glad to hear that she did not continue unwell,—& that you are well again too! I hope you have had no return of the rheumatic pain.
Address, on integral page: H S Boyd Esqr / 3. Circus Road.
Publication: LEBB, I, 37–38.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. Dated by reference to the article in The Athenæum.
2. “The women of Achæa approach the men of Achæa.” (Cf. Iliad, II, 235.)
3. Ebenezer Elliott (1781–1849), a minor poet praised by Southey. He had invested his wife’s small fortune in business, but lost every penny, due, he claimed, to the operation of the Corn Laws. These then engaged his undivided attention, and in 1831 he published his Corn-Law Rhymes, followed by numerous pieces on the same subject in periodicals.
The Corn Laws were a series of enactments, dating from 1360, designed to regulate the export and import of grain. The Corn Law of 1815 prohibited the importation of foreign grain until the domestic price had reached a certain level; this kept the cost of bread unduly high, especially in times of bad harvests, and thus imposed an especial burden on the poor. In 1846, the duties were reduced to a nominal level of one shilling per quarter.
4. EBB’s report of the article is essentially accurate. It appeared in The Athenæum of 8 October 1836 (no. 467, p. 723).
5. The poem EBB had written in Miss Courtenay’s album (see letter 528, note 13). As it was not published until 1838, EBB had presumably sent Boyd a manuscript copy.
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