Correspondence

650.  EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 55–56.

[London]

[2 July 1838] [1]

My dear friend,

I begged your servant to wait—how long ago I am afraid to think—but certainly I must not make this note very long. I did intend to write to you today in any case. Since Saturday I have had my thanks ready at the end of my fingers waiting to slide along to the nib of my pen. Thank you for all your kindness & criticism, which is kindness too—thank you at last. Would that I deserved the praises as well as I do most of the findings-fault—and there is no time now to say more of them. Yet I believe I have some thing to say, & will find a time to say it in.

Dr Chambers has just been here, & does not think me quite as well as usual. The truth is that I was rather excited & tired yesterday by rather too much talking & hearing talking—& suffer for it today in my pulse. But I am better on the whole.

Mr Crosse, the great lion, the insect-making lion, [2] came yesterday with Mr Kenyon—and afterwards Lady Dacre. She is kind & gentle in her manner. She told me that she had “placed my book in the hands of Mr Bobus Smith, the brother of Sidney Smith, & the best judge in England, [3] & that it was to be returned to her on Tuesday”. If I should hear the “judgment,” I will tell you, whether you care to hear it or not. There is no other review, as far as I am aware.

Give my love to Miss Bordman. When is she coming to see me? The thunder did not do me any harm.

Your affectionate friend—in great haste—altho’ your servant is not likely to think so!——

EBB.

Address: H S Boyd Esqr / 3 Circus Road / St John’s Wood.

Publication: LEBB, I, 72–73.

Manuscript: Wellesley College.

1. Dated by Lady Dacre’s visit; as the following letter makes clear, this occurred on 1 July.

2. See letter 565, note 15.

3. Robert Percy (“Bobus”) Smith (1770–1845) had been Advocate-General of Bengal from 1803 to 1810. He was a wit and scholar, Landor having said that his Latin hexameters would not have discredited Lucretius (DNB). His brother Sydney (1771–1845) was co-founder of The Edinburgh Review and Canon of St. Paul’s.

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