1714. EBB to Thomas Noon Talfourd

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 136.

[London]

14 September 1844

Offered for sale in Sotheby’s Catalogue, 23 July 1903, lot 208. 4 pp., 12mo. EBB writes: “You must permit me to thank you for your cordial reception of my little volumes, [1] and tell you some of the pleasure with which I read what you wrote of them, such sympathy as you give me is a very precious thing, and although I hold fast by the creed of your great neighbour, [2] that ‘Poetry is its own exceeding great reward,’ [3] and believe with Daniel, the prophet of Poets and the Apostle of the chivalry of poets, that we should be satisfied with the fulfilment of an honest vocation, and not careful overmuch for popular praises.” [4]

1. i.e., Poems (1844). See Reconstruction, C86; now in the Berg Collection.

2. i.e., Wordsworth, whose home was close by (see letter 1723). The envelope for this letter, at Reading Central Library, is addressed: Mr. Sergeant Talfourd / Rotha Cottage / Ambleside / Westmorland.

3. We have not located the source of this quotation.

4. The reference is doubtless to Samuel Daniel (1563–1619), but we have been unable to identify the specific work to which EBB is referring.

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