1493. William Merry to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 8, 144.
[Cheltenham]
[7 January 1844] [1]
<***> case in unapproachable & irrepro[a]chable orthodoxy of your own. Well, to your own heart this may lead as a modest consciousness that “the least said is soonest mended.” [2] Only one thing I must ask you to do lest you should think that obedience to your wish & forbearance on my part means carelessness or unapprehensiveness of schism—& this one thing is that you should read with candid mind a single volume called “The Liturgy compared with the Bible”—by Rev. I. Bailey– [3] It is No 194 in the Catalogue of the Socty for Promotion [of] Knowledge, & consists simply of our Church service in the margin with a broad stream of Scriptural quotation showing reason & authority for every word we presume to address to God. Those who think lightly of our Forms should see what solid ground we have for them.
Your patience yet a moment. By some means or other you have been led to imagine, that my friend Mr Reade has spoken of you in a manner displeasing & unjust. This he tells me you have mentioned in a letter to Mr Horne, & knowing that I sometimes have permission to write to you (tho’ not knowing that I purchase this privilege by publishing on purpose to be scolded) he begs me to do him justice with you for he is deeply hurt at your having admitted into your mind suspicion so utterly opposed both to his character & high estimation of you– You must have been misinformed—all that he has said—& I have notes of his by me now, also—breathe but one opinion—that of admiration. I have just cast my eyes on these words in a note dated by him last Nov. “I rejoice you correspond with Miss Barrett,—do let her know what a warm admirer I am of her fine yet delicate poems. She is a real Poetess”——
Now will you not unbelieve all ill of him, & give me a word of consolation for him? At least believe me, with prayers for your present & future welfare
Most faithfully yrs
W: Merry
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. Dated by letter 1495, in which EBB encloses a leaf of this letter.
2. Cervantes, Don Quixote de la Mancha (pt. I, 1605, bk. III, ch. 9, p. 184).
3. Henry Ives Bailey, Perpetual Curate of Drighlington, near Leeds, who took orders in 1816. The book mentioned by EBB was published in 1833.
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