1052. RB to Edward Moxon

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 6, 156–157.

New Cross, Surrey.

Thursday. [17 November 1842] [1]

My dear Moxon,

Forster, whom I have just seen, strongly recommends that the Lyrics should not appear before the beginning of next week—as he wants to get the start of such Squintowls as the Spectator &c, and yet thinks his notice had better be delayed till the Saturday [2] after next,—as he is forced to cumber this number with Annual poetry and the praise of it. [3] He gave me my choice of now or then, however—and I bade him do as he thought best for us both.

Yours ever faithfully,

R Browning.

Publication: NL, pp. 29–30.

Manuscript: Huntington Library.

1. Dated by the reference to Forster’s review.

2. The word “week” has been struck through, and “Saturday” added above the line.

3. The Examiner of 19 November 1842 carried a notice (unsigned, but presumably by Forster) of The Keepsake for 1843 (pp. 740–741). The next issue, 26 November, reviewed RB’s Dramatic Lyrics (pp. 756–757), but The Spectator’s notice did not appear until 10 December (pp. 1191–92); for the texts of both, see pp. 388–390 and 390–391 respectively.

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