1669. EBB to Edward Moxon

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 75–76.

[London]

August 4. 1844.

My dear Sir,

I venture to trouble you once more. It has been suggested to me that the colour of Mrs Shelley’s binding wd be a little heavy for small volumes like mine,—& thus if there is no objection, I should prefer green [1] .. &, for the rest, either cloth or paper, which ever is cheapest—only the title on the back to be printed on it in gilt letters, rather than on a separate white paper label.

In matters of advertisement & supplying the reviewers, you will have the goodness to act according to your own judgement, in the manner most likely to forward the sale of the work. An American friend has suggested to me that although it is about to be published in America, the editors of periodical literature there, wd be better pleased by receiving copies of the English edition. You will however know best of course, whether to send a few copies to the chief reviews there, such as the “North American” [2] —or not– I am too ignorant, even to wish to interfere, & I trust everything to you wholly.

I shall want some copies for distribution among my friends—& not very few: twenty perhaps.

Pray, dear Sir, do not think of giving yourself the trouble of replying to this note. I am well aware that you can have little time to waste.

I remain

very faithfully yours

Elizabeth B Barrett.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.

1. EBB’s Poems (1844) is bound in vertically-ribbed slate green cloth, blind stamped, with gilt lettering on the spine. Mrs. Shelley’s Rambles in Germany and Italy (1844) is bound in a brown fine-ribbed cloth with printed paper spine labels.

2. A review of EBB’s Poems (1844) did not appear in The North American Review.

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