1974. EBB to George Goodin Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 10, 307–308.
[London]
[Postmark: 14 July 1845]
Ever dearest George,
Two letters in debt to you, this first one shd certainly blush not to feel more golden corn in its pocket for the purposes of repayment– Still perhaps it will be able to “echo you, as if it had a devil” (instead of a ducat) “in its thought,” [1] & send you back a little reverberation of moaning upon the dulness of times & persons, .... I myself being at the dullest “at this writing.” Not that I have to tell you of swearing against Flush as ‘a pendant’ to your canine commination service,—Flush being more likely to turn the tables & swear against me who have turned the chairs, .. or rather replaced my sofa by a loan-chair of dear kind Mr Kenyon’s, .. to the obvious inconvenience & dejection of my poor companion for whom there’s no room close to me. Well—to pass to things more material .. I congratulate ourselves in you upon your success at Usk. [2] May it be the first of a series of prosperities!—which is an appropriate wish for the day—inasmuch as my dear dearest Georgie, my letter will reach you on your birthday, .. & affectionate thoughts, past expression in this place, will be crowding round you while you read it. May God bless you .. in things of more consequence than even worldly prosperities, & make you happy in the fullest meaning of happiness– How dearly I love you, there is no need of saying.
Trippy has been beguiled by a Round Robin (commonly so spelt, I hope) into the heirship of your bedroom—she stayed on sunday night—& is staying on. The next great news .. going backwards .. is the “great fact” of my having gone out in a Brougham last monday, & of my getting as far as Devonshire gate– I tried hard to reach Mr Kenyon’s—but, that first time, the ambition was beyond my strength—what I may do, is a different thing. If the rain keeps off I repeat my daring today: but the carriage shook beyond any imagination of my heart, or power of my body. Still my strength is returning so fast that I dream dreams of reaching the Botanical gardens perhaps, or rounding the circle, before the winter comes .. the fatal hour of the undoing of my Penelope’s web. [3] As it is, I walk as well as most children of two years old!–
Mr Kenyon went away for ten days today——& the grand pic nic of this whole house, consummated apart from the knowledge of the head of it, took place near Reading & at Miss Mitford’s cottage last Wednesday. [4] I was walking on hot coals all day with terror, lest there shd be a discovery—but it past—& such a pic nic, they all say, never was before. Miss Mitford gave strawberries & cream in her summerhouse! There is no room to enter into details—& your other correspondents are better informed than I am, besides. Uncle Hedley & Arabella [5] came from Brighton today—to go with Jane to the Duchess of Northumberland’s fête at Sion House tomorrow [6] —& on wednesday, they all return to Brighton .. Ibbet’s eyes lighted anew– May God bless you– Mind you write—but avoid pic nics as a subject.
Your Ba.
Address, in unidentified hand: G. G. Barrett Esqr / Kinnersley Rectory / Kinnersley / Nr Hereford.
Publication: B-GB, pp. 133–135.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. Cf. Othello, III, 3, 106–107.
2. Twelve miles S.W. of Monmouth. Doubtless a reference to The Monmouthshire Merlin & South Wales Advertiser for 5 July 1845, which shows that George was performing successfully in trials on the local circuit
3. A reference to the shroud Penelope wove during the day and unravelled at night to stall her suitors until Odysseus returned.
5. Arabella (1827–70) was the eldest daughter of Jane and Robert Hedley.
6. The “fête” mentioned by EBB was the third in a series (The Times for 2 and 9 July 1845 had reported the first two) given by the Duchess, Charlotte Florentia (née Clive, 1795–1866). Governess to Princess (afterwards Queen) Victoria, she had married Hugh, 3rd Duke of Northumberland in 1817.
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