1175. EBB to George Goodin Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 7, 3–6.
[London]
Monday– March 13– 1843–
My ever dearest George I mean to write to you a little sheet today notwithstanding all my wrongs suffered in your silence. I mean to write to suggest what people who have consciences, usually do with their pens when they dont see each others’ faces–
The note to Set goes for nothing with me I must explain,—because I have never seen it– And yet it is better than nothing, dear George! My second thoughts confess it is so!–
I saw Stormie this morning for the first time these three or four days, & found him looking both thinner & paler for his cold & cough which he called influenza & refused to carry within my reach until it became better. So, that I saw him today, is a proof to you of his being better, dear fellow, & shall be a pleasure both to you & me– As to Arabel, she walked to Hampstead today [1] with Occy & one or two Macintoshes [2] —make your best inferences!–
A melancholy story of the poor Theodore Monros [3] has quite haunted me since I heard it. A week ago a child was born as you know, .. and child & mother are both passably well. But Theodore who has struggled on with illness for a long while, was sent suddenly away three days after the child’s birth to Cheltenham, the medical men here having detected desease on the lungs: and now, since his arrival there, an attack has supervened which has caused Dr Baron to pronounce that he has lost one lung & is in actual extremity– In the meantime poor Emma knows nothing, fears nothing, beyond a little natural anxiety about a supposed cold– Before she can stand on her feet with her baby in her arms, she will probably be a widow—and, so, will terminate in a climax of misery, this miserable marriage– You will feel for her I am sure– I did, through & through my dreams last night.
But I am writing a lively letter, & you wont pay it the compliment I paid yours, of being better than nothing– My chief gaieties come from Flush—& he is at Hampstead—so I shall be obliged to talk of Tennyson instead. Think of Mr Tennyson saying to Mr Moxon who said it again to Mr Kenyon .. “There is only one female poet whom I wish to see .. & that is Miss Barrett.” Think of his saying so .. if he said so! But he has not written–
Another prosperity too I must tell you– Mr Cross the insect-maker wrote to take Mr Kenyon’s opinion (now remember, this is in strict confidence to you, George!) upon publishing a volume of poems with a pecuniary result– [4] Mr Kenyon wrote to explain to him the desperate case of all poetical matters—how money was to be lost, not won, in the printing of poems—and, afterwards in conversation with Moxon, told him cursorily of the application & the reply,—as conversation simply, & not as feeling his way through Moxon’s charities, “which (said Mr Kenyon to me) I have vowed never to do for any friend with any bookseller.” Moxon assented of course abundantly to the ‘sentiment’ of poetry not selling– Whereupon Mr Kenyon said, “Why, did you not once refuse a volume of Miss Barrett’s poems?” Moxon answered pathetically in the affirmative,—& went on to affirm that he had never had a night’s sound sleep since, for the aching of his bibliopolic heart, .. that he was suffering agonies of remorse .. wore sackcloth under his linen & ashes in the crown of his hat [5] —after which general confession, the particular terms of which are indifferent, he went on to ask Mr Kenyon to take a message from him to me, offering to ruin himself for me, & me alone, by accepting any ms. I might please to send him– He said besides, .. to add to the heroism of the proposal, that the poets had been the death of him,—that for three years he had made nothing in the world,—and that when the commissioners came to torture him with the Income tax, he gave in as his annual proceeds an hundred & fifty pounds, through the mere shame of giving in nothing– Well! you are surprised at the message—and so indeed was I! But I am not the least more inclined to print my book, for the pleasure of ruining Mr Moxon– Besides the fancy has passed with me .. for the season. Say nothing about it in your letters–
Miss Mitford’s subscription amounts, as far as she can guess, to some thirteen hundred pounds. Queen Adelaide gave twenty pounds, with the remark that she was one of her favorite writers. Victoria gave twenty five as a secret—so mind you dont tell it!– Yes! and Miss Mitford’s letter to Miss Skennet [sic] she snatched out of the latter’s hands & read from the beginning to the end– Luckily there was nothing in it unfit for Royal eyes–
I had a letter from my tender friend Mr Cornelius Mathews of New York this morning, who begs me to send directly for ten pounds if I have resolved to write for Graham’s Miscellany– [6] They seem to be good paymasters in America—and certainly, not many resolutions are worth ten pounds.
Mr Kenyon went to Brighton on saturday & returns today– I saw him during the early part of last week.
I am better my dearest George– My heart beats very respectably under the change of wind—and (oh! what a lovely day this is!—) I am tolerably respectable altogether, I think.
I meant to write one little sheet—& this is my third! Write to me George!– And be open-hearted as I am to you & tell me how you go on legally .. whether the briefs are more frequent & the near prospects brighter– May God bless you better even
than I love you–
Your Ba–
Uncle James has been here this morning, & is likely to come back again & dine.
Not a word from Tennyson. Is that worth hearing twice?–
Address: G G M Barrett Esqr / Mrs Dillon’s / Bye Street / Hereford.
Publication: B-GB, pp. 88–91.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. Presumably to visit Boyd.
2. Friends of Arabella Moulton-Barrett who were in Torquay while she and EBB were staying there (see letter 766). Letter 1323 speaks of Arabella’s being a bridesmaid at the wedding of Colin Mackintosh and one of 4 August 1844 tells of her making a wedding gift for Emily Mackintosh. In 1859, Octavius married Charlotte Mackintosh.
3. Theodore and Emma Monro are mentioned several times in EBB’s letters to George, but we are unable to identify them further.
4. There is no public record of any published volume of his poetry prior to his widow’s Memorials, Scientific and Literary, of Andrew Crosse, the Electrician (1857), although EBB had spoken of his “fervent verses” in letter 651. For an explanation of the epithet “insect-maker,” see letter 565, note 15.
5. Cf. Esther, 4:1.
___________________
