Correspondence

212.  Charles John Moulton-Barrett to EBB

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 1, 215.

[Hope End]

To dearest Ba

On her birthday

March 6th 1825 [1]

Come Comus come and give us mirth

For this is the day of your birth

And I hope that you will live long

And always do what’s right and never wrong.

By any chance ma chère sœur [2]

For if you remember Je vous aime de tout mon cœur [3]

Now dear Ba this is your day

So let us pass it merrily away

But now I must wish you good bye

Without a heave or without a sigh.

Your affectionate

Storm vel [4] CJB—

Address, on integral page: To / Dearest Ba.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Berg Collection.

1. Year was originally written “1824,” but was changed to “1825” in Mary Moulton-Barrett’s hand. She also wrote “March 6th 1824.” below the address, but changed the year to “1825.”

2. “My dear sister.”

3. “I love you with all my heart.”

4. “Or else.”

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