661. EBB to Hugh Stuart Boyd
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 77–78.
[London]
[?11] [August 1838] [1]
My dear friend,
You must let me feel my thanks to you, even when I do not say them. I have put up your various notes together—& perhaps they may do me as much good hereafter, as they have already, for the most part, given me pleasure.
The “burden pure have been” [2] certainly was a misprint. As certainly, “nor man nor nature satisfy” is ungrammatical. [3] But I am not so sure about the passage in Isobel
I am not used to tears at nights
Instead of slumber—nor to prayer– [4]
Now I think that the passage may imply a repetition of the words with which it begins, after “nor”: thus—“nor am I used to prayer” &c. Either you or I may be right about it—and either ‘or’ or ‘nor’ may be grammatical. At lease, so I pray.
You did not answer one question. Do you consider that ‘Apolyptic’ stands without excuse? [5]
I never read Greek to any person except yourself, & Mr MacSwiney my brother’s tutor. To him I read longer than a few weeks,—but then it was rather guessing & stammering and tottering through parts of Homer & extracts from Zenophon [sic], than reading– You would not have called it reading, if you had heard it!
I studied hard by myself afterwards—and the kindness with which afterwards still, you assisted me, if yourself remembers gladly I remember gratefully & gladly.
I have just been told that your servant was desired by you not to wait a minute!!
The wind is unfavorable for the sea. I do not think there is the least probability of my going before the very end of the week, if then. You shall hear.
Affectionately yours,
E B Barrett
I am tolerably well– I have been forced to take digitalis again, which makes me feel weak; but still I am better I think.
Address: H S Boyd Esqr / 3 Circus Road / St John’s Wood.
Publication: LEBB, I, 73–74.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. Dated by the still-tentative plans for EBB’s departure for Torquay, and the repetition of her question concerning “Apolyptic,” posed in letter 659.
2. Line 114 of “The Virgin Mary to the Child Jesus.” The misprint was corrected in Poems (1850).
3. Line 32 of “Cowper’s Grave.”
4. Lines 194–195 of “Isobel’s Child.” “Nor” was changed to “not” when the poem was reprinted in Poems (1850).
5. See letter 659, note 8.
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