1742. Harriet Martineau to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 9, 194–195.
| [In the hand of an amanuensis] | Tynemouth |
Octr 21. 1844
My dear Miss Barrett
For “leaping against a headland” read “basking upon” [1] do—so it was, if my memory serves me, but I can hardly condescend to recollect, we have since got so far beyond that headland, & stretch out & away instead of basking– We have this evening returned from a stout walk of nearly five miles, commanding long reaches of the Northern coast, bays, rocks, fishermen &c—but on these things I must not enlarge; indeed I must finish briefly about myself altogether. Since I wrote last, I have got over my weaning from opiates, have recovered my figure & size, & got new stays accordingly, have rearranged my furniture so as to break sofa habits, & am, for all practical purposes of my quiet life here, well. But the interest of all this is swallowed up in that of another case in this house, a Somnambule, an unconscious revealer, whom we have all to our two selves. [2] I can now avouch that Mesmerism is true to the whole extent claimed, & I mean to avouch it. For five years I have known this girl, simple, truthful, conscientious, & moreover, ignorant alike of mesmerism, & of her own faculties in the sleep. She believes herself mesmerized only for her head & eyes, whereas she reveals to us, her own & my internal structure, some awful spiritual dicta, & on Tuesday night last an example of clairvoyance never surpassed. We take notes of all she says, & some day you shall know all, if you wish it– Meanwhile, conceive what it must be to hear a housemaid of nineteen tell us of the mortal & immortal parts of man—of the different destinations of the soul & the mind, pertinaciously & anxiously separating what she has heard at Church from “what is true”. She says that I am near the sleep, & we believe it– We have never yet found her mistaken, & my wide awake feelings have given way to drowsiness & unconsciousness since I finally quitted opiates– One evening I was sensible of such an exaltation of ideas as I certainly never experienced before, carried through a short period of unconsciousness– If this should proceed to the speaking trance, it would be strong testimony to us all. We have agreed however, that every thing shall in that case be noted, & nothing repeated to me, that there may be no mixing of the two states, & no question of the integrity of the case.
My good Doctor has seen our Somnambule, & knowing us all three to be honest persons, can only acknowledge himself completely perplexed, & determined to investigate Mesmerism to the bottom.
I hope you will not think me flighty—all who see me will testify to the calmness & steadiness of my nerves– I doubt whether they were ever before in so healthy a state. I take care of them & my mind however, by declining correspondence as far as I can on this subject till the event is reached. To witness such mysteries is quite enough without sitting down to describe them afterwards, so you will take this scanty note in good part at present. Some day you shall know all you wish[.]
I do grudge your slow progress—if progress it be—in comparison with such a resurrection as mine. Now good night.
Yours affectey
H. Martineau. [3]
My good Doctor broadly calls my condition & powers “Miraculous”– Mrs Wynyard laughs when I turn round & say “I hope I am not taking you too far”—she has given me the nickname of “the Burgomaster’s leg”–
Address: Miss Barrett / 50 Wimpole Street / London.
Docket, in EBB’s hand: Miss Martineau / 1844.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Yale University.
2. i.e., herself and Mrs. Montagu Wynyard (see letter 1717, note 11); the somnambule is Jane Arrowsmith.
3. Signature is in Miss Martineau’s hand.
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