197. Edward Moulton-Barrett (brother) to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 200–201.
[London]
July 29th 1824.
My dearest Bazy
You no doubt were, or pretended to be disappointed at not hearing from me last Saturday; Knowing my power over you, and conscious of my great superiority as a punctual correspondent, and of the great debt of letters which you owe me, and which I am sorry to say in spite of all I can say or do you still suffer to accumulate; I tell you plump without any attempt at exculpation, or any supplications of pardon, which are rather due from you to me, I forgot you; after this declaration you cannot I think impeach my candour, and that I may preserve it from the slightest imputation of underhand proceedings, I will furthermore declare that I consider your mode of life amidst the gaity and dissipations of Cheltenham, as injurious to yourself, as it is disagreable, and inconvenient, to your friends and correspondents, it teaches you to forget your affectionate brother, who continues punctually every week to waste his time, pens, ink, and paper in the unprofitable service of writing to an ungrateful sister. Bazy, Bazy, as each week passes over my head without my receiving a line from you, it excites in me fresh wonder, at your heinous ingratitude, and your incorrigible impudence. Well, now that I have exhausted all the rhetoric of my indignation, I suppose I must enter into more amicable terms with you, as I wish to obtain your sympathy on a most eye breaking subject, only think Bazy, again this week has that most detestable engine of cruelty the cricket ball hit me on the very same unfortunate eye, and a second time both nearly obscured my “visionary ray” and turned that unhappy member black, blue, green yellow, in short every colour, upon the face of the earth, except the natural one, now is not this too affecting, it brings tears into my eyes when I think of it, into the one for its own misfortunes, into the other those of sympathy (which by the bye I shall espere [1] from you) for the wretched fate of its brother. Granny desires me to thank you for your kind letter, (more that I can do), and is delighted to hear yo<u ar>e all so well (more than my eye is[)]. I wr<ote to> Papa on Monday to apprize him of the near approach of the holidays, which <com>mence on Thursday next, but have not yet received an answer from him. Good bye my dearest Bazy and believe me
your affect.
Brozy.
Sam is so much better that Dr Nuttall has this morning driven him out in his gig. Treppy desires me to say that she wrote to you last.
Addressed and franked by EBB’s uncle on integral page: London July thirty one. 1824. / Miss Barrett / 8 Cambray St / Cheltenham / S M Barrett.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. “Hope for.”
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