1227. EBB to Richard Hengist Horne
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 7, 98–101.
[London]
May 1. 1843.
Your over-subtlety my dear Mr Horne, has ruined you! Suspecting me of man-traps & spring-guns, you shoot yourself with the hypothesis of a spring-gun—which takes its place at once among “extraordinary accidents”–
For ... I stated the bare fact when I said “a man”. Man it was—no woman it was!– Man it was—& man it ought to be.... Yes—and it wasn’t Leigh Hunt either, I make oath to you!– I wish it had been Leigh Hunt!!
“No man wd have ventured to say such a thing!” Ventured!! Why you are quite innocent, Mr Horne!–
I wont tell you the name—but I affirm to you that those words, as I quoted them, were written by a man & to me .. and by no means in jest or lightness of heart, as a woman would have written them,—nor in arch-mock at the infirmities of our nature, as Leigh Hunt might have written them, .... but in grave naivetè … in sincere earnestness,—& without the consciousness of saying anything out of the way.
Now I wdnt tell you the name for the world. [1]
My “application” intended to be that I wished you wd write of yourself, … & not only because of the possible good consequences to me which were suggested– That was what I meant to say, .. & stopped– On the other hand you, at the end of your last note, attempt an impossible application of a quotation which wont be applied in such a manner for two separate reasons. “I pray thee do not mock me”– [2]
You are quite right—anybody can be severe! As to Mr Trench, I have only such knowledge of him as extracts in your paper & other reviews can give [3] .. and although he has probably more faculty than many who are facile & copious, he seems to be dry & limited & without impulse in the use of it,—& meets I shd think with liberal justice from your hands. Browning however stands high with me– I want very much to know what you mean by his ‘worst faults[’] which you have not touched upon? [4] Will you tell me in confidence, & I will promise never to divulge it, if you make a condition of secresy. Mr Browning knows thoroughly what a poet’s true work is—he is learned, not only in profane learning, but in the conduct of his genius—he is original in common things––his very obscurities have an oracular nobleness about them which pleases me—his passion burns the paper! But I will guess at the “worst fault”—at least I will tell you what has always seemed to me the worst fault——a want of harmony– I mean it in the two senses, spiritual & physical. There is a want of the softening power in thoughts & in feelings as well as words—everything is trenchant,—black & white without intermediate colours, nothing is tender—there is little room in all the passion, for pathos– And the verse .. the lyrics .. where is the ear? Inspired spirits should not speak so harshly,—& in good truth, they seldom do– What! From Paracelsus down to these Bells & Pomegranates, .. a whole band of angels, white-robed & crowned angel-thoughts, with palms in their hands, .... & no music!!!– [5]
I should have told you before that I wrote to America, offering my services to try & persuade you into the Miscellany, [6] if my American friends desired it– If they dont desire it, I shall be very sorry for them, … that’s all—but I have not myself any doubt of the result. Mr Lowell of Boston wrote to me some six months ago [7] to ask for my contributions to a new magazine he was about to undertake there, & told me to ask Mr Tennyson for his .. altho’ he cdnt pay either of us, not having any money. I sent some things I had by me, & explained that being quite unacquainted with Mr Tennyson it was impossible for me to take the liberty of applying to him—& then, I shd have spoken of you, but for this clause about the no-payment which restrained me. The other day, I heard of the ruin of this magazine [8] —the comfort being, that as the proprietor had no money to begin with, he cant have lost any. I liked his letter for its frankness–
I have been reading Carlyle .. his ‘Past & Present’– There is nothing new in it—even of Carlyleism .... but almost everything true—I am a devotee of Carlyle. But tell me, why shd he call the English people a silent people, whose epics are in action, of whose Shakespeare & Milton are mere accidents of their condition? [9] Is this true? Is not this contrary,—most extremely, to truth? This English people,—has it not a nobler, a fuller, a more abounding & various literature, than all the peoples of the earth “past or present” dead or living—all except one, the Greek people? It is ‘fact’ and not ‘sham’ that our literature is the fullest & noblest & most suggestive—do you not think so? I wish I knew Mr Carlyle, to look in his face & say .. we are a most singing people .. a most eloquent & speechful people .. we are none of us silent, except the mutes–
Most truly & loquaciously yours
E B Barrett–
When I said Lilly in my last letter, I meant Lillo. [10]
Publication: EBB-RHH, II, 33–34 (in part) and The Contemporary Review, XXIII, April 1874, pp. 801–802 (in part).
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. It is clear from letter 1221 that EBB had quoted to Horne, without attribution, Haydon’s explanation (in letter 1219) of why he enjoyed writing to EBB.
2. Cf. King Lear, IV, 7, 58.
3. Richard Chenevix Trench (1807–86), writer and theologian, later (1864) Archbishop of Dublin, had published Notes on the Parables of Our Lord in 1841. He also produced a number of poetic works, including The Story of Justin Martyr and Other Poems (1835), Poems from Eastern Sources (1842), Genoveva (1842), and Elegaic Poems (1843). EBB had probably read reviews of his poetry in Fraser’s Magazine (June 1842, p. 739) and The Athenæum (16 July 1842, p. 633 and 4 March 1843, p. 211). Horne’s paper was presumably the article mentioned in letter 1221.
5. Here Horne wrote, “(Wonderfully wrong).”
8. The Pioneer lasted for only three issues, January–March 1843.
9. Carlyle wrote that “The English are a dumb people. They can do great acts, but not describe them.... their Epic Poem is written on the Earth’s surface … Of all the Nations in the world at present we English are the stupidest in speech, the wisest in action. As good as a ‘dumb’ Nation, I say, who cannot speak, and have never yet spoken,—spite of the Shakespeares and Miltons who show us what possibilities there are!” (pp. 212–216).
10. This letter is lost. George Lillo (1693–1739), dramatist, is best known for The London Merchant, or the History of George Barnwell, first performed in 1731.
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