1461. EBB to Richard Hengist Horne
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 8, 92–94.
[London]
Saturday Dec. 16. 1843.
I am so glad to hear that nothing really very bad is the matter with Tennyson. If anything were to happen to Tennyson, the world should go into mourning–
Did I ever tell you that I once wrote to him & had a note from him? Thus it was. Some American sent me last year a newspaper containing a review of his poetry, & requested me to forward it to him—knowing my direction & not his. I was embarrassed to know what to do—& more especially so, as the review was cautious in its admiration. At last I wrote a brief statement of the facts of the case, & sent the newspaper. I was quite ashamed of myself & my newspaper—but he was good enough to seem to forgive me for an involuntary forwardness. [1] The people in Yankee land, I observe, think that we in England all live in a house together—particularly we who write books. The idea of the absence of forests & savannahs annihilates with them the idea of distance.
I am content—in relation to poetry——I can understand perfectly. Perhaps however you have underrated certain perceptions of an individual, of poetry in its highest order. The individual in my mind (probably different from the individual in yours) can appreciate Tennyson, Wordsworth, Keats—& your Cosmo. Still I admit that I should shrink a little from the suggested hot ploughshare of your magnificent
“Oblivion crowned with infinite blank stars” [2]
because certainly there is a mystical effluence of poetry (a highest height over the highest height) in Wordsworth Tennyson & Keats, which escapes the individuality of my individual—always did & must. And now I think, we have written into about as thick a fog as obliged us to light the candles at noon a few days since. Only I dont mean to light the candles here.
I have not the Blackwood in question– I could send for the number, but cannot remember definitely. I think it came out just after the Seraphim—in 1839 .. was it not? & I think the paper called itself “Our two vases” .. that being a current title of a series of critical papers by Christopher North. Mr Milnes & I were reviewed together in the paper I refer to—& we had it to ourselves. [3]
No—I did not suppose that the opinion I sent to you amounted to much—but I will send you one since you care to have it.
Also, he & I were associated together with Mr Sterling & one or two more Blackwood poets, in the North American Review of last year. [4] This you will not care to see—and a friend of mine borrowed my copy & has not returned it. Mr Milnes was treated unworthily in it I think—& overthrown for want of imagination & fire. They behaved very generously to me, & after sundry admonitions, unquestionably founded, dismissed me with a laurel-branch. This paper was written, I have since ascertained, by the Head of Harvard College Boston—or perhaps “ascertained” may be too hard & selfsatisfied a word—say ‘believed’ instead. [5]
So Tennyson is “pretty”—is he?– Did I ever tell you that I heard a lady ..... a countess .. by the order of St Louis! [6] —say—“The latter part of Homer is certainly very pretty.” These are your critics, [‘]o Israel!’ [7]
For my own part, I was going to observe (when I wrote last to you) that I should be satisfied, in the case of a certain mortal enmity, with such an execration as .. “Oh that mine enemy wd write a book”. [8] I stopped the pen—because it struck me as too savage. I will say it now, though.
Mr Lough is engaged on a bust of poor Southey, which is said to be fine & resembling. [9] His widow went to see it the other day.
The anonymous ‘Life in the sick room’ ‘by an invalid’—is by Miss Martineau—& worthy of her—full of noble christian philosophy,—& most affecting, through its very calmness. [10]
I cannot write any more—which is lucky, I believe–
Ever yours truly
EBB–
The proofs shall be sent. I have only glanced at them yet.
You will be glad to hear that dear Miss Mitford has been chosen honorary member of the new Literary Institute under Buckingham. [11] They have also chosen Agnes Strictland,—(but that was only) to prevent any unpleasantness to Miss Mitford, from the circumstance of her being the only woman.
Publication: EBB-RHH, I, 86–91.
Manuscript: British Library.
1. See letters 1103, 1155 and 1176.
2. EBB is repeating the quotation from Cosmo de’ Medici, used by Horne in the previous letter.
3. An article so titled, in the issue of December 1838, did discuss Milnes’s poetry, but the review linking him with EBB, in the August 1838 number, was headed “Christopher in His Cave.” That part of it dealing with EBB was reprinted in vol. 4, pp. 379–382.
4. In the issue of July 1842 (pp. 200–245). The portion relating to EBB was reprinted in vol. 6, pp. 373–379.
5. Josiah Quincy (1772–1864), Mayor of Boston 1823–29, was President of Harvard 1829–45.
6. Possibly Adelaide Kemble, referred to as Countess Sartoris in letter 1095.
7. Cf. Exodus, 32:4.
8. Cf. Job, 31:35.
9. John Graham Lough (1798–1876) fashioned the memorial erected in Crosthwaite Church; his later works included statues of the Queen and Prince Albert.
10. The title-page of the book read Life in the Sick-Room. Essays. By an Invalid (1844); it quoted Shakespeare’s line: “For they breathe truth that breathe their words in pain.”
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