201. Edward Moulton-Barrett (brother) to EBB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 205–206.
[London]
Octbr 6th 1824.
Better late than never Bazy, I can assure your letter came none too soon, for I was in a most terrible rage with you, for your shameful idleness, and unless you had taken the prudent measure of writing as quickly as you did, you might have waited long enough before I should have condescended to have written you a line, however in consideration of your very many and humble appologies but more particularly because though I am disarmed of all excuse for giving it you on my own account, I am delegated from another quarter not to spare you, this from no less a person than Miss Trepsack who is almost as much out of patience with you as I was, she says they have not received a letter from you for an immense time and moreover she is extremely angry with you for not sending your poem [1] down to her. I read your account of the imaginary fire under the floor with great pleasure, and was much amused by it, except in one part where you allude to your slow retreat from the scene of action, this awoke in me feelings of a different nature, and I felt truly concerned when I see so clear a proof of the great weakness which must yet exist in your legs, and when I remembered with what astonishing velocity they carried you down stairs on the memorable day when the school room chimney was on fire, I could not have a more convincing proof that your legs are still in a very debilitated state; as for your boastings upon the subject they only made the feelings of compassion with which I regard your still deplorable state still more acute, as, I have been informed it is the nature of the disease, this however I will allow may be as much the nature of the beast as the disease to boast of strength of mind when strength of body was at fault, & pray dont mention this subject again as all your expostulations will only go to strengthen my ideas of your weakness. Yesterday I received a letter from Treppy she says it is uncertain whether they stay the winter at Hastings or not; there was she says a report of the Typhus fever having broken out there which frightened away many of the visitors, and no doubt amongst the rest they felt no small degree of the general fear, this report however, I somehow guess must be untrue, as like you they seem shy of running. Good bye for the present my dearest Bazy as I must now write to Hastings.
Believe me your affect
Brozy.
I am happy to hear Mama’s legs are pretty strong.
Sam joins with me in love to all.
Address, on integral page: S. M. Barrett, Esqr M.P. / Hope End– / Ledbury / Herefordshire. “Ba” written adjacent to the seal.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. Perhaps EBB’s most recently-published poem, “Stanzas on the Death of Lord Byron.”
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