Correspondence

2637.  Joseph & Maria Arnould to RB

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 14, 63–65.

Decr 6th 1846

My dear Browning. I ought to have thanked you before this for the most delightful letter I ever received in my life; both from the warm expressions of regard which it contained for myself (would that I were worthy of them): and from the gratifying tidings of the restoration of Mrs. Browning’s health &, (though this we knew beforehand) your very perfect happiness at Pisa. Indeed, my dear friend, with love, marriage, & delightful literary occupation you have given me a picture of an existence which would be perfect anywhere, and hardly wanted the graceful solitude of Pisa to lend it an additional charm.– Before receiving this you will have heard that I have (provisionally on your & Mrs Browning’s approbation) accepted the office of Trustee to your Mar[r]iage settlement, at the request of your Sister & Mr Kenyon: need I say that I did so with a feeling of high gratification & a sense of great honour in acting for such friends. (May I venture on the plural already—as I feel it, pardon my writing it): & with such a magnificent co trustee as Mr. Kenyon. Of course, my dear friend, I have now heard all—were I with you in the body I should convey the impression the narrative made upon me with one warm grasp of the hand: let me, as I can only communicate my thoughts on paper do so by a silence which I feel will be at once more expressive and becoming than words—which would either be totally inadequate to convey the feelings of which my heart is full, or, if less measured, might renew in yours the sorrow & the anger to which your noble nature will I know never allow you to give utterance. I feel that I should be insulting both you & myself—by attempting to express in writing how completely I sympathize with & admire your whole conduct.

Owing to Maria’s continued indisposition from influenza we have not been able to go down to Hatcham as much as we could have wished, and as we mean to do, now that she is better: we had however a most delightful evening there last Saturday: one of the old evenings, in which we should have indeed missed you irreparably had we not made up for it by talking incessantly about you:– I was very glad to see Mrs. Browning looking, for her, decidedly well: quite cheerful & free from pain: your Sister I had not seen looking so well for a very long time– I have written to Domett, as I thought you would wish me to, fully & confidentially about the whole business– You know what a fine fellow he is & how entirely this will fill his large heart with joy. Yesterday evening at Chorley’s I had the high gratification of meeting for the first time—that noble minded man, Mr. Kenyon. Need I say that I was as delighted as all else who meet him must be by the frank, cordial & unaffected goodness of his whole manner, transparent dress of a noble, genial nature; having so pleasant a common topic as yourself we speedily became very friendly & I shall not be surprised if I have to thank you for another most agreeable addition to my list of acquaintances.

All success to the revision of Paracelsus & the Bells & Pomegranates: [1] I can fancy no pleasanter occupation for the six weeks of Italian winter: we <shall> all be eager here to see the results: of course as one of the pit audience in the great literary theatre I say run the risk of all things for the sake of being clear; sacrifice the private boxes to the gallery, the coteries to the multitude, as far as is practicably consistent with the plan of revision; but, of course don’t let us miss one of the characteristic features or well known hues which have long since settled so deeply into all our hearts:—in fact I know you will not do this.

I fully enter into your utter distaste for London news: I you know live within the bills of mortality, [2] but not in London, in the ordinary sense of the word—& therefore know nothing which would bear pos<ting;> besides I know you have many friends who will keep you constantly supplied with all literary news—and indeed my dear Browning I feel very unaffectedly how little more a letter of mine can convey to you except a mere evidence of the truth & sincerity with which I am & ever shall be your faithful friend. I hope Mrs. Browning will allow me to offer her my very kind regards & you believe me to be

as ever your true friend

Joseph Arnould

[Continued by Maria Arnould]

My dear Mr Browning. I hope you thoroughly understood when my husband wrote last time, that nothing but the blindness from which I was just then suffering could have prevented me sending with my own hand my warmest congratulations to you and Mrs Browning, for believe me none of your friends could have felt more truly and deeply rejoiced at your happiness, than I did, & do. I am so delighted that you love Pisa. You have found out one old walk, (the grassy bank by the side of the Arno), is it not lovely? We resided there two month[s] so I have many grateful memories of it. I spent a long & happy day with Mrs Browning & Sarianna about a week back, and they were so good as to wish me to go down again before Xmas which I intend to do. We missed you very much, but we rejoiced in the cause of your absence. It would be folly in me to attempt to give you any news for you know my quiet life and Joe will have told you all I know, so I will only beg you to present my sincerest regards to Mrs Browning (I would if I could, express how proud I feel at the prospect of making her acquaintance) and with kindest regards to yourself & every sincere wish for your happiness in all things

Believe me always

Your very sincere friend

Maria Arnould

On Saturday we had the pleasure of meeting at Mr Chorley[’]s that dear good noble man—Mr Kenyon.

Address, in Maria Arnould’s hand, on integral page: Mr. Browning Esqre / Poste Restante / Pisa / Italia.

Publication: Smalley, pp. 95–96.

Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library, Gordon N. Ray Bequest.

1. RB had evidently mentioned to Arnould that he was revising published works for his first collected edition. Published in 1849, this collection did not include Sordello, and marked the change in RB’s publisher from Moxon to Chapman and Hall. RB had referred to the possibility of a new or “second edition” as early as February 1846; see letter 2209.

2. “Or weekly bill, a periodically published official return of the deaths (later, also the births) in a certain district; such a return began to be published weekly by the London Company of Parish Clerks in 1592 for 109 parishes in and around London; hence this district (the precise limits of which were often modified) became known as ‘within the bills of mortality’” (OED).

___________________