968. EBB to Eleanor Page Bordman
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 6, 2–3.
[London]
June 3– [1842] [1]
My dearest Nelly,
I send you the first part of my English poets, [2] because you flattered me in your kindness that you were pleased with my Greek ones. If you only flattered me, why I am enacting a poetical justice & you deserve to be tormented.
Oh what a heat! Are you broiling with a thermometer at seventy six, as I am? My poor heart which was so very much better that I was quite revived, begins to faint & pause—not very badly to be sure but still comparatively badly. Otherwise I keep up, & get up, & even get into the next room upon my feet—into Papa’s room through the communicating door– But seventy six! Who can feel well, without air to breathe! I really think that at this moment I cd be glad of a puff of direct east wind. And now dear Nelly, be ready with your philosophy to sweep up the pretty moral, of the admission!—
My dear Arabel is well again, I thank God—and I shall be delighted to see you any day after tuesday in the next week. Athenæum work until then—unless I shd be burnt to ashes (to be swept up with the moral) before then.
Today, for the first time, I heard of Annie’s ‘work’. She wrote to Arabel to ask me for some translations, prose translations, from Greek or Hindostanee or something of that sort—quite unfit for the character of the proposed work, & quite impossible for me, in the present state of my occupations & inclinations, to furnish her with. She says besides that she contemplates publishing by subscription!!!! & asks for two subscriptions of 15s. each. The subscriptions I have sent to tell her, we will agree to without difficulty—but the plan of printing by subscription, I say everything I dare to say in contradiction of. My dear Nelly—is it a fit thing for Mr Boyd’s daughter to do, under such circumstances. If she were a poor author struggling to get a hearing for genius, I wd say nothing—altho’ it is a means never made use of, by persons in her sphere of society. But as it is, oh I am quite annoyed in thinking of it. It is an appeal to charity without a reason: & taking it as a bare appeal to charity, why the writing, the letter-press shd be her own, & not yours & mine! [3] The most foolish of schemes seems to be issuing in the most disagreeable way imaginable—& my temptation just now, is, I confess, to subscribe thrice over & withdraw my contribution—brief as the latter was! Dearest Nelly, shall you be able to come? I fear you are forgetting me.
Ever yr affecte
EBB
My regards to Mr Jago .., if you please. Dear Nelly—Miss Mitford admires yr name so much! Did I tell you before?
Address: Miss Bordman / Trejago.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.
1. The year supplied by EBB’s reference to her article on The Book of the Poets.
2. In The Athenæum, 4 June 1842 (no. 762, pp. 497–499).
3. EBB voiced her objections to Boyd in the following letter.
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