8. Elizabeth Moulton to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 8–9.
[?London]
[ca. May 1812] [1]
My Beloved Ba!
You must think Grdmama very Idle not to answer your two affectionate Letters; you wd not have been so long without hearing from me, had I been able to hold a pen, it is only within the last fortnight that I began to get better & I know my good little Girl will be glad to hear I am now quite well, & anxiously looking every day for a Letter to say, my own dear Ba is coming to see me– We shall have a nice little Girl for you to play with—|Pool| Scarlett [2] will spend her Holidays here & then go to Cheltenham with us——
Kiss all your Children for me– I hope Harry continues to be a good Girl & has learnt all the prayers you were so kind to make her repeat every Sunday morng——
I had two <or> three Letters from your Sam since we wrote last to Cheltenham– He sends Loves & Kisses to all his pets– You must give his Love to Papa & Mama & say Uncle Sam begs they will not take it unkind his not writing to them– He had nothing worth sending them in a Letter—but He will make his excuse himself in July—as he expects to be in England very early in that month– He has been Ill & confind to the House—the Duke of Leinster, his Brother Ld Wm Fitzgerald, & a Mr Howard, [3] were his constant attendants– He says, directly the weather becomes more fair,; I shall leave Palermo & accompany the Duke & his Brother round the Island, then proceed to Malta, then to England– He says I must tell his dear Ba you will have a Letter from him by the next pacquet & if he can get a safe conveyance he will send you a Maltese chain——
Say something very pretty to Aunt Fanny [4] for Trepsack, & Grdmama, tell her how very sorry we are that we cannot see her before she leaves England, & we wish her very very happy– Love to dear Papa & Mama & Ta [5] for both of us– Kiss your dear little Sam for us——
Ever My Sweet Ba
Your Affectionate Grdmama
EM——
tell Papa to ask Mr Lockhead for Treps papers that he has as they are much wanted
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. Letter was apparently being sent to Cheltenham, where EBB’s brother Sam had been born on 13 January 1812. He is mentioned, but sister Arabella, born 4 July 1813, is not. Assuming that the year was 1812, an earlier month than July is indicated by reference to uncle Sam’s plans.
2. Not identified, but presumably a young member of James Scarlett’s family.
3. Augustus Frederick Fitzgerald, third Duke of Leinster (1791–1874) and his brother, Lord William Charles Fitzgerald (1793–1864). Mr. Howard has not been identified.
4. Frances Butler (née Graham-Clarke), EBB’s maternal aunt. She had married Thomas Butler on 30 January, and was about to leave for his estate in Ireland.
5. Another family name for Henrietta.
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