Correspondence

179.  Edward Moulton-Barrett (brother) & Mary Trepsack to EBB

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 177–179.

April 27th [sic for 26th] 1823. [1]

My ever dearest Bazy

I feel myself under the highest obligations to you for your kind intentions in sending me your Greek Epigrams to translate, but really I have got so much to do for myself particularly as the examination is drawing near, that I fear I shall not have time to do what you require, I have now got ten verses to do to show up on monday morning however if I have a few minutes spare time I will try what I can do before Sunday evening, I admire your English translation very much indeed and only hope I may succeed half as well in my latin. Poor Sammy is much better today. I admire the shape of the gardens very much for this reason because I think the fantastic shapes of the beds, are a very exact resemblance of the twistings and windings of your brain and fancy. We have had nothing new going on at Charter House this week, which would interest you nothing but Cricket matches, and battles, there was one poor fellow who came into the play ground yesterday and some of the very big boys siezed him and bumped against a tree, pulled his hair nocked him down and I really think treated him most shamefully, for nothing atall [sic] but because he came into the green. The gold medal is decided to a boy of the name of Walford, [2] and they say that the verses are quite beautiful, the subject is King Lear. Every thing now indicates that the Holidays are fast approaching for places are taking in all the coaches to all parts of the kingdom from Scotland down to the land’s end, the trunks are packing &c &c and we are certainly to break up on the seventh which is next Wednesday week. Russell works us most properly now in Grammar, and Ovid which we are to be examined in on the examination day. Good bye my dearest Bazy, if I can I will certainly do the verses to be sent in my sunday’s letter.

Believe me your ever affectionate

Brozy ——

[Continued in Mary Trepsack’s hand] Bro has kept his Letter so long in hand as scarcely to leave me time to say that Mr Green is just gone from here– he thinks our dear Sam better– his head is quite relieved & his Tongue which was very foul is nearly quite clear– his fever has been slight the last two days It has changed from a regular period of coming on, to different hours & much slighter– numbers have it, & it is so very tedious that it lasts three weeks or more—but I trust our dear Boy will get well much sooner– there is great improvement in him, & I hope to give you a much better account on Monday when I shall not fail to write– he sends his Love with Grannys & Treppys– Bro is looking uncommonly well, & hard at the task you have given him, you will receive it with my next dispatch.

[Continued at top of page 1 by Edward Moulton-Barrett] Now Bazy what do you think of me I have been inspired and have done your verses.

Ad lapidem vitâ vertebar numine divûm,

Remutare jubet Sculptor, me, marmore, vitæ. [3]

Address, on integral page: Miss Barrett / Hope End / Ledbury / Herefordshire.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Eton College Library.

1. Postmarked 26 April 1823.

2. John Desborough Walford (1805–76). His prize verses, 145 lines in Latin hexameters, were published in Charterhouse Prize Exercises, from 1814 to 1832 (London, 1833), pp. 105–109. He was a pupil at Charterhouse from January 1817 to May 1823.

3. “By the will of the gods, in life I am turned to stone; the Sculptor orders me to change back from marble into life.”

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