2705. RB to Arabella & Henrietta Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 14, 315–318.
[Florence]
Oct. 4, ’47.
Ba has been writing a long letter to her dear Sisters, [1] who are also mine—and if I did not know that they love her as she loves them, I should make sure that nothing I could tell them would be listened to after her—for how I remember what her letters are!—but I also know that any little piece of news about the writer, will always be affectionately received by those of whom .. only yesterday .. I will tell you what she said: we had just got a note (of which, very likely, Ba’s letter may speak) from Mrs. Jameson’s niece—goodnatured and full of kind feeling, but rather abundant in sentimentalities about the Coliseum, St Peters &c– Upon which I remarked to Ba—“How much more it would interest you if she had described the dresses your sisters wore .. since she speaks of their calling at Ealing”– “Their dresses?”—said Ba—“what I would give to hear of their shoes!”– And, dear Henrietta and Arabel, be quite sure that she was entirely true in that, as in every other utterance she is capable of .. the longer I have the happiness of living with her, the more do I understand and venerate her perfectly loving nature—but all this you know, and my only chance of interesting you is in telling you what news I can. I hope and believe that at this moment Ba is better than she has been for some weeks, or even longer. She looked so decidedly better and stronger yesterday that we took advantage of the lovely weather—and walked out—with no ill effects. I must tell you, that she is the most tractable and docile creature in the world—keeping in the house, when fatigue seems properly avoided, and observing all regulations of diet &c just as if her own good were not concerned in it—as it certainly is not, in her thought. She always retains that sweetest of all imaginable sweet tempers, making it a blessing to be near her—and I see every day fresh reason to admire your generous kindness to me, who have taken such a blessing away from you—tho’ only for a time, I trust, and to return it to you with increased powers both for your good and her own. I wonder if she tells you anything about her good looks—her rounded cheeks with not a little colour on them, and her general comparative .. shall I dare to write it .. plumpness? It surely is so, or my eyes are very faithless. She will have told you about our interrupted journey to Rome: I know it will be difficult, or, indeed, impossible for you to make yourselves quite easy about the dangers or inconveniences of our movements,—but you may rely upon one thing—that we do nothing without a great deal of deliberation,—and whatever poor human sagacity can foresee,—we endeavour not to miss seeing: but unluckily there is no plan, that we have yet hit on, without disadvantage in some degree, to counterbalance the advantage—to travel,—to stay still and be overtaken by the winter in a bad wintering place,—to stop short, with little fatigue, but in some city where the comforts are less certainly attainable,—or to go further, for the purpose of faring better, but with a great increase of trouble in the going,—all these considerations have to be weighed carefully. Depend on it, we shall do the best we can, trusting in providence that has hitherto interfered so signally in our behalf. Of one matter, which looks formidable in the English papers, you need have very little fear indeed. One would suppose, to read some of these accounts, particularly those extracted from the French gazettes, that we were in open insurrection, with all the horrors of mobs, riots, noises and dangers: [2] while there is not a symptom of anything of the kind—indeed, there is no mob in this admirably civilized country,—much less in this renowned city, where you two young ladies might walk alone in the evening without the least fear of an impertinent word or look. We certainly find it very delightful to be in Italy just at this time, when it is so thoroughly alive—and our pleasure will not be greatly diminished, if all those rumours operate as they are said to do in keeping away the flocks of travellers—however accounts differ, and we know nothing positively as yet. Meanwhile, we are <as> happy here as the day is long—and it will be no great misfortune if we are for<ced to> take up our quarters in Florence for some six months longer. On another <im>portant point, too, we have been reassured lately—there appears to be no <cause> to doubt that one of the Physicians here is an able and desirable man [3] —(unfortunately, this “one” is not Mrs Jameson’s old friend, Herbert [4] —who may be getting too old a friend.) Mrs J., by the way, is a kind, good, sympathizing friend of ours—but dont take her notions of Florence, and the life there, without a little allowance—for she found Florence the gayest of gay cities, distracting from its routine of visits, given & received, &c. and gave us the notion of a place where we should be teazed to death .. quite a mistake; for (as I dare say it happens in most other gay cities)—you must seek out these dissipations or they will never seek out you—the world being quite able to amuse itself without either Mrs. J. or Mr & Mrs B: so that, where she felt unable to read or write for an hour by herself, we enjoy exactly as much solitude as we like—not receiving six visits in six months. I have got to the end of my piece of paper,—and what have I told you, after all? Whereas, what true, truest delight your affectionate congratulations gave me when Ba & I got your letters so fortunately the day before our great day!—for on the day itself it was impossible to go thro’ the streets for the procession. God bless you both for your goodness to her and to me. Believe me ever with the deepest love and most earnest wishes for your happiness,
your RB
Address, on integral page: Miss Barrett.
Publication: TTUL, pp. 49–53.
Manuscript: British Library.
1. This letter was accompanied by a letter from EBB, no longer extant, in which she apparently referred to the possibility that she might be pregnant again. (In a letter to Miss Mitford dated 22 February [1848], EBB wrote that “the people about me, months & months ago, took the fact for granted, in spite of all I could say or think to the contrary” EBB-MRM, pp. 229–230). The Brownings’ departure from Florence to Rome had been postponed for a month from 20 or 21 September 1847 (see letters 2701 and 2703) to about 19 October 1847 (see letters 2702 and 2703). Between the 4 October 1847 date of this letter, when the journey to Rome is only “interrupted,” and shortly thereafter, the Brownings decided not to leave Florence at all during the winter of 1847–48, and began the search for alternate accommodations detailed in letter 2707 and later letters.
2. Although the revolutionary spirit was flourishing throughout Tuscany, the worst demonstrations at this time were, for the most part, limited to Leghorn (Harry Hearder, Italy in the Age of the Risorgimento: 1790–1870, 1983, pp. 80–81).
3. Thomas William Trotman (1809–62), a physician and accoucheur, was recently established at “Via della Scala, 4280” (Murray’s Handbook for Travellers in Northern Italy, 1852, p. 457).
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