Correspondence

2958.  EBB & RB to Richard Hengist Horne

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 17, 115–116.

September 24. [1851] [1]

My dear Mr Horne, I am writing this for Robert as well as for myself. We leave England for Paris tomorrow, and as you made no sign, we concluded that you were still at Broadstairs, and did not pay you our visit. I am vexed to have to go without seeing you again, & without expressing face to face to Mrs Horne some further sense of her kindness in coming here through the dark that evening. We must catch up the thread of our acquaintance another day .. and will you tell her that I, for my part, shall do it with pleasure, with great pleasure, and that meanwhile I send her my love?

Also, we send by the parcel delivery company to your address, dear friend, the new editions of our works, and the last new poems. [2] We wish you to have them for friendship’s sake, & remain in all affectionateness of thoughts & wishes, your faithful

Robert & Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

The above are literally my last words written in England, I think. You will write to us wont you, sometimes? Send any letter to New Cross, till we have a fixed address in Paris.

Address: R. H. Horne Esqre / Beaumont Cottage / College Road / Haverstock Hill.

Publication: EBB-RHH, II, 194–195 (in part).

Source: Annotated copy of EBB-RHH text, in the hand of H. Buxton Forman, at Pierpont Morgan Library.

1. Year provided by postmark.

2. The parcel contained Poems (1850), inscribed “R H Horne with grateful regard from EBB,” and Poems (1849), inscribed “R. H. Horne—with RB’s sincere regard” (see Reconstruction, C93 and C462). The “last new poems” refers to Casa Guidi Windows (1851) and Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day (1850); we have been unable to trace the location of these presentation copies.

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