1675. EBB to Edward Moxon
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 85.
Wimpole Street.
Friday morning. [9 August 1844] [1]
My dear Sir,
You do me great honour by your intention of putting my books to such uses,—but I must ask you after all to change the destination of one of them, as it is agreed between Miss Martineau & myself that she would accept one from my hands, and I cannot relinquish the pleasure implied in the giving. [2]
In respect to Mr Tennyson, .. there has, in fact, been a struggle in my mind between my ambition to offer him the poems, & my fear of being too forward for a stranger who has no pretence to be forward, .. & perhaps too apparently arrogant besides in the offering of a gift he might not care to have, .. and I am really thankful to you for obviating the difficulty by your intention. No one, in the world, can appreciate his genius more heartily & fervidly than I do,—that, I must say, out of a full heart.
If either now or afterwards you shd be inclined to take other copies, I hope you will do so without any scruple,—& allow me to remain dear Sir, always
Very truly yours
Elizabeth B Barrett.
Possibly it may be convenient to you, & better as a matter of accuracy, that I shd acquit myself now of my pecuniary debt to you so far .. the printing expences &c,—leaving the advertisements, or pre-paying them? If you shd think so, I must ask you to tell me to what amount I am your debtor. Of course, however, I submit the “time & season” [3] of such an arrangement to your own convenience: it is precisely the same thing to me, now or afterwards.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: R.H. Taylor Collection.
1. Dated by the following letter, in which EBB refers to receipt of Moxon’s note.
2. The first volume of the copy presented to Miss Martineau is inscribed: “With the author’s regards to dear Miss Martineau. August. 1844.” It is now at ABL (see Reconstruction, C76).
3. Cf. Daniel 2:21.
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