1487. RB to Henry Fothergill Chorley
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 8, 134–135.
New Cross, Hatcham, Surrey.
Jan. 3. 1844.
My dear Chorley, [1]
Your very kind, indeed fraternal, letter has, I think, given me as much pleasure as you wished: I hope & trust we shall know more of each other as we get older– I have always found fresh knowledge, fresh gratification, I am sure—and you are liberal indeed in your fancy’s allowance of “playmates” to me if, picked and chosen as you please, you suppose they keep you out of sight for a minute!– I have some good staunch friends, too,—(most of them got by my verses—fact!)—but I will run over the week after next and shake this into you with force of hand, for writing won’t do. A prosperous year to you!
I was very sorry to find your article & translations postponed to the following Number of The Review: [2] it would seem that on, or the day before, Xtmas-day, there came down an Article from headquarters that must needs edge itself in, let who would, suffer—and; but that it would be ungracious & ungrateful in me, who am in one of the notices, to say anything,—I could easily point out the preferable dislodgement. But our mediating friend was anxious to tell me that the loss was felt to be the Review’s—(Black, Black, and no end to Blacks, all through) [3] —and that they looked to you for another article for the next number, in addition. I believe all went properly with you & the Editor, (good man!) [4] this time—he has, I am told, “a considerable respect for Mr. C.” and thinks unutterably hard of “Mr B” who gave himself unnecessary airs—so he takes “Mr B” to task for his “mistake” in “the History” of the Druses [5] —all the mistake being in his own jolt head. (The Review itself, I ought to own, is by a man of genius whose occupation should employ Reviews [6] —but the Doctor [7] has been over it on all-fours, like the blind man over the dead bodies,
“ond’ io mi diedi
Già cieco a brancolar sovra ciascuno.” [8]
Ugh!– Back to you, my dear Chorley: travel safely, arrive happily, return contentedly, and then expect assuredly
Yours ever faithfully,
R Browning.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Yale University.
1. For details of the Brownings’ friendship with Chorley, see pp. 325–328.
2. As the contributors to The Foreign and Colonial Quarterly Review were not identified, we can only surmise that RB is referring to a translation of “Canzone Attributed to Dante,” although this was included in the January number (pp. 292–298).
3. Apparently a reference to John Black (1783–1855), journalist and editor of The Morning Chronicle, although it is not clear why he is mentioned in this context.
4. The editor was James William Worthington.
5. A review of The Return of the Druses mentioned an allusion in the previous number of the magazine to an error “with regard to certain historical facts” in the play (January 1844, p. 209; for the text of the review, see pp. 337–340). However, study of the October 1843 issue failed to locate such a remark.
6. We have not been able to establish the identity of the writer.
7. Assumed to be a reference to the editor, whom RB referred to as “Dr Worthington” in letter 1429.
8. “I, blind now, groping arms about them threw” (Dante, “Inferno,” xxxiii, 73–74, trans. Laurence Binyon).
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