3031. EBB to Henrietta Cook
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 18, 82–87.
138 Avenue des Ch. Elysées.
April 1– [1852] [1]
My very dearest Henrietta,
I dont like to think of your being in London so long without a direct letter from me, though I repeat to myself that it is much the same thing to whom I write, as you get equally at all I can tell you– But I must tell you, especially you, that I delight to seem to feel you nearer to me than you seemed at Taunton, & that I am longing to hear of your modifying your plans somehow as to your return thither. Wont dear Surtees consider the expense of having to come back again to London at the end of the summer? Could’nt you both simplify your plans by settling in some cheap way, within reach of Bentinck street, if not immediately there? I think we shall be in England this summer .. and to have in any measure to lose you, will be grievous indeed. As to April, o Henrietta, April is too soon for me in England—even May is soon for England. You see if I go & have to shut myself up, there’s no possible good in it, & it grows disheartening to get so much evil through England. We have our apartment here till the eleventh of may at least. The plans, afterwards, are quite unshaped, .. still, every now & then, we let out to one another, that they will end by shaping themselves into England—we say unawares .. “if we go to England” .. “when we go to England.” So we shall go, I dare say—and then how to be near you, Henrietta? I want (among other small reasons) to see Altham .. though I am sure it will be at the price of humiliation on my part, as I expect to see him twice the size of Wiedeman as usual. Thank God, our darling Peninni, is going on well now, though the teeth are not through yet. The gums enlarge, but the teeth keep back—still as Dr Macarthy saw no reason for lancing the gums, I suppose nothing remains but to be patient. It is curious how he has suffered more & otherwise from these teeth than from all the rest. Mrs Streatfield told us that the last time we had Dr Macarthy here, he went from our house to hers, & she asked him what was the matter with our child. “Nothing whatever,” was his answer. Robert declares that we are set down in his mind as the most absurd terrorists that can be. Probably we have been a little spoilt by the child’s uniform healthfulness, so that the slightest deviation is apt to frighten one. Dr Macarthy took pains, when he was here last, to explain to me that all children were subject to this or that, & that this & that meant nothing worth a moment’s uneasiness—and he is said to be very clever & of successful practice especially with children. He praised our Peninni extremely, & found out his phrenological points .. said he had an extraordinary memory for facts, places & persons .. & a great imaginative development—the organ of music very strong, among the rest. We shall spend next winter in Italy if we live, and bathe him in his native air. It will do us all good—although I must say that his chest appears very strong, & that so far from having suffered from a northern winter, the darling has not had even a cold in his head once. You will all think him looking very well, I do flatter myself, and much grown. Still, not larger—he never will be—he is not formed for it. Wilson & I were considering yesterday whether one of his frocks would be large enough for Altham—see what gigantic ideas we have of Altham! It is’nt that Peninni is smaller by any means than all his contemporaries– There’s a little Prussian aristocrat [2] here who is smaller than he (at least, shorter) yet two months older—and, for activity, he runs faster than children six & seven years old, while some great heavy children, exactly his age, & twice his size, rather roll than walk, & cant run at all—so that I am tolerably contented, I assure you.
Tell Arabel that George Sand did’nt go that day after all, & that we heard accidentally of her being detained by illness. So we went to her house to enquire, & took Wilson & Peninni as usual with us in the carriage. The child listens to everything one says, & I heard him telling Desirée with an indescribable air, while Wilson was tying on his hat, “Peninni e Papa e Mamma via, Torge And, .. (are going away to George Sand!)– Torge And no bene. Torge And un poeta, Detitè.” [3] He talks his Italian to Desirée & she answers him in French, as if it were quite a matter of course, only she does’nt make out much of his talk, & he understands every word of her’s—there’s the difference. Lamartine did not come to see us that day. He could not find us out, & Eugene Pelletan could’nt make time to accompany him—something hindered. But another day is to be fixed– M. Pelletan says he is extremely anxious to come, both on account of our poetry, which he thinks highly of, and the agreeable impression which Robert made on him during the evening they were together. “He was struck”, M. Pelletan told me, by Robert’s “elevation of thought.” Robert went with our dear friend M. Milsand (noble & excellent he is) to the house of M. Buloz, [4] the great man of the Revue des deux mondes, where the Parisian literate of the first order are apt to congregate, last saturday evening, by especial invitation, & was received with great cordiality, & much interested by what he saw & heard. Alfred de Musset who passes with some, as the first living French poet, was to have been there to meet him, but was hindered—another night, he says, he will do it. Paul de Musset, [5] the brother, a very different person was to be seen in his place. Madame Buloz [6] had the kindness to miss me, and to hope that when I was able to go out in the evening she might see me. Every saturday evening they “receive.” The “minister of commerce” and his wife were present [7] .. but Robert did’nt hear much politics– We are released, you will all see, from the “state of siege” throughout France .. which, since 1849, has not been found possible. The president was warmly received by the people when he went to the Tuilleries to hear the oaths of the constituted bodies; & there are unmistakeable symptoms everywhere, of reviving prosperity. I do not approve of everything—it is not a government after my heart:—but considering the tremendous complications of the position, I believe he has done nearly as well as any other honest & able man could do. Eugene Pelletan who is of the extreme opposition to the Elysée, admitted the other day to Robert, that “things were going better.” I liked the President’s reception speech– [8] It was frank & bold, & direct—very characteristic. How long any government will stand in France, it is difficult to predicate .. but at the present moment he stands strongly .. more strongly than ever, .. & not (please the Times & Examiner) by the grace of the army. [9]
Last tuesday evening, which M. Milsand always spends with us, was furthermore animated by a new acquaintance of ours, a Mr Darley, [10] the brother of Darley the poet, who wrote in the Athenæum. He is very gentlemanly & intelligent, & having spent twenty seven years in France, knows something, as you may suppose, of the country. I am glad we know him—we attain to something by every such new acquaintance. I dont want to see mere masks of men & women. I have been scolding Robert for not bringing me M. Jadin the artist, [11] Alexandre Dumas’ friend, mentioned in that pleasant book of travels upon Sicily—I forget it’s name—perhaps Arabel may have read it, … & Robert has made Mrs Streatfield laugh by representing that while for Lord Salisburys [12] & the rest I remain in an absolute state of indifference, I leave him no peace till he gets into acquaintance with all the delightful scamps of feuilletonistes & artists in Paris. Of course not. I want to know characteristic people. We are rather respectable too in some of our society—we cant help that, Henrietta– The wife of the Sardinian minister [13] is coming to call on us, she has signified—& Lady Trotter [14] —oh—the English are really too many.
I like Lady Elgin & Mrs Streatfield, far the best of all the English. Mrs Streatfield, (she was a Miss Cookson .. the first cousin of the other Miss Cookson who married Richard Butler) is charming—even fascinating .. one of the most graceful, elegant creatures, the eyes ever looked at .. & good & intelligent & sympathetical besides. We see a great deal of her. As to Lady Elgin, she is really interesting in many ways—a most earnest, enquiring woman—a great spiritualist—deep with the Irvingites, though she has not joined the churches yet——oh—I shall have to write a very long theological letter to Arabel before long .. I hear much of curious things & interesting things relating to religion, in spite of all my scamps– I think Mr Carré, the pastor (in the Newman street connection, here) is interested in Robert & me, he takes so much pains with us, & is so kind to us. But we resist .. we are not drawn .. though we can sympathize fully up to a certain point .. (enough for Christian union.) It is curious how little I am drawn for instance, .. I who am drawn by all sorts of spiritual manifestation– But their dogmas of church authority & priesthood, stop me, like walls of marble, from following after these. Robert keeps steady to the little church of French Independents, where he “quite loves” that “angelic M. Bridel, [15] who has the face of Tennyson & the apostle John,” he says, “together”.
Dearest Henrietta, I do hope you are growing fatter again—though it wont be much fatter, I dare say, till after your confinement. Do eat as much as you can comfortably, & dont drag about that Altham of yours, .. your attempting in your situation, to carry him, must even be dangerous, remember. He is to be dressed, the fashion says, even he, in a sort of Basque body—scarcely anyone dares to appear out of a Basque .. only, in a child’s frock, it is fuller .. thus. Illus. Very pretty & becoming. Among maturer persons, the jacket remains much in favour, .. together with a waistcoat exactly like a man’s, which is a good deal worn just now. Robert wants me to have it—but if ever I do it shall be a black silk one, as really I have not courage for the white & bright masculine forms of the costume. Mrs Streatfeild looks very pretty in hers, but she looks pretty in everything. Henrietta, I must tell you that it’s considered here utterly barbaric & profoundly English, to wear over-full petticoats. My French mantua-maker, who is distinguished in her class, smiles with pitiful contempt at the whole tendency .. “mais c’est par trop Anglais, Madame.” [16]
I heard today from Mrs Martin, who is to come our way in a few weeks she says. No other news for the rest—but she speaks of you, & wonders whether the new ministry will be more propitious to Surtees than the former one. [17]
The Hedleys are well. Aunt Jane has been patronizing a concert, & Robert took a ticket (for ten francs .. princely person) & met them all there last night–
The weather is rainy, but really hot– We cant bear a fire, even though there’s no sun. Splendid weather we have had—the lilac trees out in full leaf—the great trees in the Tuilleries getting green–
Oh—no time to write! The post goes, they say. Love, best love to Surtees– Love to everybody. Tell dearest Trippy I shall write to her.
As to that wicked Arabel, she treats me—why how she does treat me!—— A little tiney note she has sent me—since when?——
Do you send Altham to Wimpole street, Henrietta? Are you the proud one, of us two?–
Your ever attached Ba–
Robert’s love to both of you with mine– A great kiss to the darling–
Thank dear Henry. I shall write him.
Address: Angleterre / Mrs Surtees Cook / 15. Bentinck Street / Welbeck Street / London.
Publication: Huxley, pp. 157–161 (in part).
Manuscript: British Library.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. Unidentified.
3. “George Sand not well. George Sand a poet, Desirée.”
4. Listed in the Brownings’ address book of this period (AB-3) at 20 Rue St. Benoit.
5. Paul de Musset (1804–80), novelist, wrote Lui et elle (1859) as a reply to George Sand’s Elle et lui (1859), which concerned the love affair between Sand and his younger brother Alfred de Musset.
6. Christine Marie Euphrosine (née Castil-Blaze, 1815–89), daughter of François Henri Joseph Blaze (1784–1857), known as Castil-Blaze, composer and music critic. She married François Buloz in 1835.
7. Jean Gilbert Fialin (1808–72), Comte de Persigny (afterwards Duc de Persigny), had been appointed minister of the Department of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce on 22 January 1852. He was later French ambassador to London (1855–60). Persigny married on 27 May 1852 Églé Napoléone Albine (1832–90), daughter of Joseph Napoléon Ney (1803–57), known as the Prince de la Moskova, a title inherited from his famous father Michel Ney (1769–1815), Marshal of France.
8. EBB refers to the speech delivered at the swearing-in ceremony for the newly-elected deputies of the Corps Legislatif and the presidentially-appointed senators that took place on 29 March at the Palace of the Tuileries. The Times of 31 March carried a report of the proceedings and a translation of Louis Napoleon’s address. He implied that he had no intention of re-establishing the Empire, or becoming Emperor, unless he was “forced to do so by evident necessity. Whence can it arise? Solely from the conduct of parties. If they resign themselves, nothing shall be changed; but if, by their underhand intrigues, they endeavoured to sap the bases of my Government; if, in their blindness, they contested the legitimacy of the popular election; if, finally, they endangered … the future prospects of the country—then, and only then, it may be reasonable to demand from the people, in the name of the repose of France, a new title, which will irrevocably fix upon my head the power with which they invested me” (p. 6).
9. An allusion to the charge being made periodically by both The Times and The Examiner that France had become a “military despotism.” See letter 2980, note 3, and letter 3012, note 15.
10. William Henry Darley (1798–1857), artist and critic, had met and become friends with Joseph Milsand at Rome during the latter’s 1838–39 stay in Italy. The brother, George Darley (1795–1846), was a poet, critic, and correspondent of Miss Mitford.
11. Louis Godefroy Jadin (1805–82), French artist, had travelled to Sicily with Alexandre Dumas on the Speronare in 1835. He became the official painter of the imperial hunts under Napoleon III. Le Speronare (1842) is a chronicle of Dumas’s travels in Italy and Sicily.
12. James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil (1791–1868), 2nd Marquess of Salisbury, was at this time Lord privy seal in the Derby government.
13. Margherita Provana (1811–67), daughter of Lorenzo Trotti Bentivoglio, Marchese di Milan, had married in 1836 Giacinto Octavio Provana, Conte di Collegno (1794–1856), Sardinian minister plenipotentiary at Paris from January to October 1852. She is described as a “woman of superior intelligence and culture” in the Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani.
14. Margaret Trotter (née Gordon, 1781?–1853) was the widow of Sir Coutts Trotter (1767–1837). She is listed at “La Rocheville” (a chateau near Versailles) in the Brownings’ address book of this period (AB-3).
15. Louis Bridel (1813–66); see letter 2960, note 8.
16. “But it is far too English, Madam.”
17. Lord Derby (1799–1869), head of the Conservative party, had replaced Lord John Russell, head of the Liberals, as prime minister in February. Perhaps Mrs. Martin had in mind the militia bill then being debated in the House of Commons (which eventually led to an increase in Surtees’s pay). The previous government had fallen after its militia bill had failed to secure the necessary support.
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