875. EBB to Mary Russell Mitford
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 5, 175–177.
[London]
Decr 1. 1841.
Dearest dearest Miss Mitford,
No indeed, I am not unwell—and I do not want your Dr Chambers—and when I do, I will see him just as you please & Papa pleases & I ought to please. But I am not unwell now. How crossly I must have written to make you think so. How cross I am with myself for making you think so! Forgive me that I may be self-forgiven.
The cold weather had its effect certainly for a day or two—& the result was a languor & dulness & idleness which pressed instead of dissipating. You understand!– But my beloved & kindest friend, if I had sent to Dr Chambers—, the dialogue wd have turned in some such way as this—“What is the matter?” “It’s very cold.”– “What do you want of me?” “Why, Dr Chambers, if you wd only, just .. it’s too much to ask, I know! … but if you wd only, just, develop the sun for me, & expel the frost, & bring on a chronic stage of summer”!– I do assure you my dearest friend—that is all I cd say to Dr Chambers! And perhaps he might laugh at me! There’s no knowing!–
On the other hand, on the nearest hand, I am afraid you have been very unwell yourself, and I cant be quite satisfied with the account of the betterness. Tell me—oh do!—exactly & in detail how you both are. May God bless you!–
You have written me a letter full of your own delightfulness, & I cant return you one today, even full of my dulness. Crow says “Indeed you must write very fast”, because I stand consciously upon the edge of the last post-hour. Tomorrow or next day shall carry you more—& what is written today must serve & be received as a title page to the letter to come.
To be sure!– Mrs Niven may keep the Pneumatology as long, just as long, as she pleases. I am glad she cares to look into it. I am pleased that the first glance into it has interested you. I have a love for pneumatology & for Stilling besides, & love them to be loved. Is not part of the charm of the book owing to the nearness in it of what we are pleased to call the real & what we affect to call the ideal? That spirit with the little brass shoebuckles represents the whole Stilling-system—does’nt it? [1] The Germans are a strange people—a strange, noble people!
We agree then entirely upon the estimate of Miss Garrow’s poetry—and I agree with you as to the idiotic love [2] —which is idiotic & rests there—not kindling & exalting into intellect, as in the beautiful old tale of Cymon– [3] The poetry is however more radically defective, as poetry. It is not a poet’s poetry—& leaves the reader’s pulses at leisure. How different, Mr Milnes! Oh how different! That sonnet lived by me for nights & days. I am so glad you like it. It is exquisite in all its different movements, each conveying a new mood of tenderness & pathos—
“Now that thou canst not blush at thine own praise—” [4]
What a line it is!—so full of life & death! Beautiful! I quite agree with you. He stands next the throne.
And Mr Kenyon’s are Mr Kenyon’s—not inspired, but delightful in their way, & fresh with Nature as he saw it, & philosophy as he feels it, & owing nothing to book-nature & book-philosophy. [5]
I must end. This tiresome post!
Your own attached EBB
Publication: EBB-MRM, I, 313–314.
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum and Wellesley College.
1. See letter 874.
2. This doubtless refers to exaggerated praise of Miss Garrow’s poetry by Landor, Kenyon and others (see letter 847 and SD1164).
3. “Cymon and Iphigenia” was included in Dryden’s Fables, Ancient and Modern (1700); it was based on the story told on the fifth day of Boccaccio’s Decameron.
4. Line 4 of “On the Death of the Princess Borghese, at Rome; November, 1840.” This was Milnes’s contribution to The Keepsake for 1842, just published.
5. Kenyon’s “Upper Austria” appeared on pp. 18–23 of The Keepsake.
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