1180. EBB to John Kenyon
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 7, 11–12.
[London]
[mid-March 1843] [1]
Transfused into one heart thro gentleness
or
Might fuse ..
or
Should fuse ..
Wdnt ‘should’ be better than “might” which seems to me to be .. ‘ambiguous.’
or
Should centre in one heart … [2]
You are empowered again, my dear cousin, to alter it as you please .. only you please to give yourself a great deal too much trouble, in your kindness for me–
As for Venus I am ‘insolent’ enough to think myself right, .. because I am representing not a fickle but an insensate Venus. Therefore the moral of the Adams & Eves & Oliver Twists does not apply—& thence my “white calm of the heart.” [3] And I submit to you dear Mr Kenyon that whereas my Jove stands or sits with his “right hand unloaded” [4] .. in a condition of weakness opposed to his former power,—& as all my other gods & goddesses are equally undone, .. the apathy of Venus is the natural adversity of her passion, .. & the colder she is, I shd say the better. My fault appears to be that I have not made her cold unto death .. that I have left an ambiguity—& this must be corrected–
I thank you again & again for all your goodness & pains, & remain
Ever affectionately yours
EBB.
Here is the first volume of Horner [5] —thank you! It is very interesting—but he seems to me to have had too wavering a will, or rather too many objects, .. to be a great man.
See how Flushie has blotted my letter! He is jealous of my writing & taking no notice of him!–
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
2. Line 2 of “An Apprehension” in Poems (1844) read: “Concentered in one heart their gentleness”. EBB’s draft (see Reconstruction, D34) read: “Endowed the heart of one with gentleness” and a later fair copy (see Reconstruction, D37) read: “Should pour into one heart their gentleness”.
3. “The Dead Pan,” line 109, read: “On the white calm of thine heart!” EBB apostrophizes Venus here under her Greek guise, Aphrodite.
4. Line 64 of “The Dead Pan” read: “Jove, that right hand is unloaded”.
5. Francis Horner (1778–1817) was a lawyer and politician. His brother, Leonard Horner (1785–1864), had just published Memoirs and Correspondence of Francis Horner, M.P
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