1563.5. RB to Richard Hengist Horne
Addendum to The Brownings’ Correspondence, vol. 8.
New Cross, Hatcham.
March 6. [1844] [1]
My dear Horne,
A sea-faring friend of mine told me once, he had a good fellow enough of a mate, or thereabouts, whom he wanted to take to dinners with him, and so get the benevolent graces of ship-owners, charterers and the like—but the insurmountable obstacle to this tar’s feathering his nest was his dogged will & pleasure to let no repast go quite by without rising—glancing unutterably bitter reproach at all the nonchalant people around, who having eaten of the best, were busy with toothpicks and small talk—and saving his own soul by an emphatic “Anyhow, I thank ye for me!”—to the Host—a done-with man, by that time of the evening—(for his wife would stand the coffee upstairs). And I do feel some such necessity of thanking you for my very kind, handsome, generous, good-purposed and good-producing “Notice” in your book—which I read last night: of the power and graphic beauty in it, I say nothing—as you cannot help putting them out everywhere: the passage about “Sordello” is better than anything in that book. I feel deeply obliged, and sincerely desirous of having no need one day, to say so.
The other articles I had time to read were on Dickens, Tennyson, Landor,—and others in part. They are most happy and discriminative—but I will read again—for your clear precise unmistakeable decisions make one ashamed of vague praise just now.
I have been writing for 9 or 10 hours every day very nearly for the last five weeks—though I said nothing about it before: I am scarce sorry, now, that I rendered you no assistance.
Ever yours faithfully,
RB.
Address: R. H. Horne Esq. / 38 Finsbury Square.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.
1. Year provided by postmark.
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