2763. Joseph Arnould to RB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 15, 196–198.
13 Markham Square. Chelsea
Dec 26th 1848
Dear Browning
Chorley & myself, with many other of your friends were all at your play on the first night of its representation at Saddler’s Wells; Chorley told me he should write at once, to express, as he can so well, the delight & gratification which we, in common with a crowded audience felt, at the revival of your noble play: it was indeed a grand triumph & Phelps did his part thoroughly well both as actor & manager. The papers will have informed you of its success since then. [1] My dear Browning I am thoroughly ashamed of having let nearly a year dribble away in a succession of petty cares & small concerns without having been down to Hatcham: my poor wife during the greater part of that time has been away from Town endeavouring to restore at the sea side her health which has been very much shattered lately, & during the time she was in London we were fully occupied in the pleasant employment of moving from our old house in Victoria Square to our present abode (the address of which is as above) situated about a mile further west, in Chelsea—about 200 yards from Carlyle’s residence: did I tell you in my last letter, as I ought, that Carlyle whom I happened to meet one forenoon at John Chorley’s, where I smoked a cigar with him, desired me to convey to you his very kind regards, & best wishes, speaking of you at the same time in a manner which would have, I know, gratified you to hear. I have not yet had time to go through your new edition, [2] but am looking forward to it as one of the great treats of my leisure; I like much your external shape & from what I can hear & learn think it not unlikely that you may be much more widely circulated in cloth at 16s, than in the former little well-beloved tracts at 2s 6d– Your life at Florence is enviably happy: had I the energy, or one thousandth part of the energy you have—I should desire nothing so much as such a life: being as I am I know that nothing can keep me from lethargy, except the coarser stimuli of love of gold & power: under the influence of which I can, I find, do lawyer’s drudgery with sufficient patience & industry; as yet with very lenten remuneration—which however I trust is a little on the increase: my book, which you are kind enough to ask about is one of those βιβλια αβιβλια [3] which poor Charles Lamb use[d] to rank with some better company than they deserve: ’tis a treatise on Sea-Insurance & Shipping which has taken me 3 years & a half of the utmost labour I could supply: a huge heap of letterpress in 2 thick 8vo vols: with marginal notes, endless references & an index of about 150 pages: it has been successful in Westminster Hall & is now bringing me the natural fruits of such work, in the shape of mercantile cases to advise upon, & disputed points of maritime law to clear up! in short, the success as far as it goes of this book, & a growing conviction that it is better to be able to do one thing thoroughly, than several imperfectly, has more than ever made me resolute to give myself up wholly & entirely to the study of the Law, & as much of the practice thereof as the patient labour of many years may ultimately entitle me to: my wife’s failing health, & some little share in the general loss arising from the Railway Mania of the year /45 [4] —have combined to make the past year one of some uneasiness, but I am very happy to say that the first cause is very fast being removed by a rapid & I hope permanent improvement in Maria’s health, & as to the latter, I rely fully on being in a year or two in the receipt of more than sufficient professional emolument, to satisfy our moderate wishes, & in the meanwhile nothing worse has befallen us than being obliged to see less of our kind friends than we formerly used to do: Corragio & speranza [5] are always my watchwords, & with the comparative restoration of my wife’s health, I feel fully equal, with the best hopes for the future, of facing a thousand times more than any difficulties that are likely to meet us. Let this detail, perhaps impertinent, explain in some degree, I know it cannot excuse, our having suffered so long a time to pass without having seen your sister: we mean to go there immediately on our return to town (we are now for the Xmas week at my father’s in the country) [6] & thenceforward trust there will be no more such breaks in so pleasant an intercourse: my wife begs to join with me in kindest regards & all the good wishes of this (with us) Christmas season to Mrs Browning & yourself & believe me
Yours ever most faithfully
J. Arnould.
Publication: Smalley, pp. 98–99.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library, Gordon N. Ray Bequest.
1. For the text of reviews of A Blot in the ’Scutcheon, see pp. 389–392.
2. Poems (1849).
3. “Books which are no books” (Charles Lamb, “Detached Thoughts on Books and Reading” in The Last Essays of Elia, 1833, p. 45).
4. Overspeculation in British railways in 1845 and 1846 led to steep declines in share values. The ensuing panic contributed to the financial crash of 1847.
5. “Courage and hope.”
6. White Cross, near Wallingford in Berkshire; it was the property of Arnould’s father, Dr. Joseph Arnould (1786/87–1859).
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