1276. EBB to Richard Hengist Horne
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 7, 175–176.
[London]
June 9. 1843.
Epic or no epic, my dear Mr Horne, it is a true poem—but you wont make it a popular one by your largesse to the public of a mere nominal price. The people—insert your anti-cornlawsisms where you please, [1] ... will shake their carrotty locks at you, wondering what these things do signify. But it is noble—nay, therefore it is noble—you address yourself exclusively τοις συνετοις: [2] and although even Icdhave desired more action heat & colour in it, I stand admiringly before the Carrara, [3] & recognize the Artist’s hand. It has passages scarcely to be exceeded in sculpturesque beauty—& the aim is worthy—and the Design ascends worthily along a line adjusted, from earth to the Above! The first canto is one of the most perfect—but the blindness .. the recovery .. the remorse of Artemis [4] .. the colloquey upon the sand, of Time & Akinetos, [5] are all admirable in different ways & beyond the conception & execution of any .. I do not say .. man .. but poet of ordinary faculty. Who of your contemporaries cd have written some of these things? Neither Tennyson nor Browning, with all their powers, have a strong spiritual sense enough. They could neither see nor sing that grand Akinetos, as he stood face to face with Time on the brown sea-sands.
It appears to me also that you have triumphed over yourself in your blank verse, which is rounder & more harmonious than your tragic cadences are wont to be.
Yet I wish the blank verse away!– I wish you had made use of a free heroic rhymed verse instead .. to take us ere we were ’ware. [6]
And you & your publisher have made a ‘vow[’] I find, not to sell this poem at all. Everybody within my reach I address with a ‘Will you go & get me an Orion’? and my brother George who went to the shop yesterday for the second time, makes affidavit that Mr Miller was in the dumps & disowned the very existence of any Orion, except the one out of reach. Papa has been there on his own account,—my brother Septimus has been there on mine. I have written a note in my own name,—I have forged another person’s. Miss Mitford says “Send me more Orions”!– She wants to send them to a bishop, [7] & I cant supply her. Now listen to me Mr Horne,—You are inscrutable, & I do not enter into your secret. But if you will allow your publisher to give six copies of your book to my bearer, I will give you sixpence .. or its equivalent,—besides being eternally your obliged
EBB–
Oh yes!—Festus is a fine work. Some day, when I have time for gossip, I will tell you, what a scrape I fell into through admiration of Festus–
Oh! I will tell you now. A gentleman, a poet, a correspondent, at large intervals, of mine,—but not a personal friend, .. wrote to me, praising Sterling extravagantly. [8] I, .. who never cd see much in Sterling, .. was sincere & cold about him in reply, .. & begged the praiser to read Festus, which I was reading at the moment. Well!—Presently I had another letter. My correspondent was astounded at me! Upon my praise, he had procured Festus, & looked at one or two pages, .. when he was driven back in convulsive fits, by the hot blast of Indecency & Blasphemy emitted from the leaves—he found it impossible to read such a book!–
Address: R H Horne Esqr / 36. New Broad Street / City.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: R.H. Taylor Collection.
1. EBB is taking a passage in bk. I, canto 2, as a criticism of the shortage of affordable bread owing to the operation of the Corn Laws: “And hungry people prowled about at night, / Then clamoured, and took arms—their war-cry ‘bread!’” (p. 16).
2. “To the intelligent.”
3. i.e., marble.
4. In bk. I, canto 1.
5. Bk. III, canto 3.
6. Cf. Romeo and Juliet, II, 2, 103.
7. Bishop Baines.
8. The infrequent correspondent was probably Townsend, described in letter 1008 as “an enthusiast” about John Sterling’s poetry.
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