1624. EBB to Richard Hengist Horne
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 10–11.
[London]
Saturday night. [8 June 1844] [1]
Yes– I perfectly understand. But then … you do not!
What if certain passages in ‘Dead Pan’ shd be in suspence critically, .. voices crying to me “alter this,” “alter that,” .. whereas I may not have made up my mind & my rhymes as to alterations anywise?. For the rest, there will be some fifteen or sixteen pages of print. But it is in stanzas. You shall have it in ms .. & also in proof—& then I shall be sure to do my best .. or worst for you–
Never in the world was such a dog as my Flush. Just now, because after reading your note I laid it down thoughtfully without taking anything else up, he threw himself into my arms, as much as to say .. “Now it’s my turn. You’re not busy at all now.” He understands everything, & wd not disturb me for the world. Do not tell Miss Mitford—but her Flush (whom she brought to see me) is not to be compared to mine .. quite animal & dog-natural,—& incapable of my Flushie’s hypercynical refinements. There is not such a dog in the world as he is, I must say again—& never was, except the one, Plato swore by. [2] I talk to him just as I shd do to the “reasoning animal on two legs” [3] —the only difference being that he has four, supererogatorily.
I am very glad to hear of Miss Martineau & Orion. She has a fine enthusiasm & understanding, or rather understanding & enthusiasm, for poetry—which shows a wonderful & beautiful proportion of faculties, considering what she is otherwise. I do not say so because she praised my Pan,—which you may not think worthy of praise,—& which she very probably was pleased with, on account of its association with her favorite poet Schiller—such associations affecting the mind beyond its cognizance– My ‘Pan’ takes the reverse of Schiller’s argument in his famous “Gods of Greece,” & argues it out. [4]
No! nobody has said “that the paper was the work of a private friend”—but everybody with any sense must have thought it!–
Ever & truly yours
EBB
Oh—do you put me in despair about “times & seasons.” [5] The book must & shall come out this season.
Think of my stupidity about Leigh Hunt’s poem of Godiva. [6] The volume I lent, has just returned,—& most assuredly there is no such poem in it. His late republication may contain it—& that also I have lent. You shall have it in time.
I hear rumours of greatness in respect to a Mr Patmore’s new volume of poems just advertised. [7] They are said to be “only second to Tennyson’s by coming secondly” … which however makes a difference! Tell me if you see them, what you think of them. He is said to be quite a young man .. that is, a very young man.
Oh no—I promise to try not to kill myself .. but I am very busy & anxious .. & cant help being both.
I send five fragmentary rough-copy leaves of my preface to give you an idea of “my Drama of Exile” & “Vision of Poets” my principal poems. I have a new long ballad poem besides, called “The Duchess May” & sundry others– Return the m∙s. faithfully—also these old broken proofs wh. I find in this torn & dirty state. You will make a guess at the Drama by half of them.
Address: R H Horne Esqr
Publication: The Contemporary Review, February 1874, p. 452 and April 1874, pp. 799–800 (in part).
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. Dated by the following letter, which is Horne’s response.
2. Cf. Lysis, 211.e.
3. Cf. Seneca, Epistulæ ad Lucilium, XII, 8.
4. See EBB’s preface to “The Dead Pan.”
5. Cf. Daniel 2:21.
7. Poems, by Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore (1823–96), was published in June 1844 by Edward Moxon, who presented EBB with a copy (see letter 1627). Despite what EBB called a “cruel & bitter” review of Patmore’s volume in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine for September 1844 (see letter 1751), both EBB and RB praised Patmore as a promising young poet (letters 1650, 1664, and 1751).
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