3046. EBB to Arabella Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 18, 136–139.
138. Avenue des Ch Elysées–
May. 29–30. [1852] [1]
My ever dearest Arabel, what is this that is the matter with you? Do write & say how you are now, as I am extremely anxious about you. What sort of medecine do you take?. Homœopathical, still? Do take care, do—and, if you can sincerely, send me better news than this which is most uncomfortable– For the rest, I have been in sympathy with you a good deal—and the last thing I said before opening your letter was the ordering of a mustard poultice for my own use for this very pain in the side. I have had a good deal of it when I breathed long, or coughed, & the mustard poultice did more for me than anything else. Ah, mine is my old pain—not as bad as of old, though—amounting rather to great irritation, I dare say, than inflammation .. and this morning it is decidedly better, going off by degrees– I had no fever neither in the night,—& by degrees, if it please God, I shall grow into myself again– You see it has been a touch of influenza, which in my condition of the chest, was a sort of ‘coup de foudre’– [2] Wilson declares she has’nt seen me so unwell (without provocation) since we married. Then I, in a fit of impatience at being ill in the summer, which seemed against all reason, struggled up against it a good deal, and even, two successive mornings, took seidlitz powders, desperately & imprudently .. for they set me wrong altogether .. I dont think I will ever take medecine again as long as I live. The only way for me is to be quiet & patient, & not to be amused the least in the world– You will lift up your hands in indignation at me when I tell you that although the day before, I had scarcely felt equal to being driven out in uncle Hedley’s carriage which he most kindly sent for the purpose with the governess & little girls, while aunt Jane was at Tours, I yet positively went to the Institute with Mrs Jameson & Madame Mohl & the Countess de Colegno (the Sardinian ambassadress) in order to see the reception of the poet Alfred de Musset—yes, & sate four hours, in a heat & crowd..—!! [3] it’s miraculous to me how I bore it in spite of eau de cologne & other accessories. I had a horrible fear too—of dropping down under an avalanche of Parisian bonnets .. I wonder the very fear of fainting was resistible. But I did’nt faint, and Madame de Colegno had the goodness to bring us back in her carriage, which saved some fatigue at the end, & shaking of fiacres. You see, Arabel, I had set my mind on seeing this reception. It is very difficult to get tickets, & we had the best-place tickets .. and it’s a great sight to see, a reception at the Institute. Lord Brougham came from England on purpose. There were all the great men of France there, almost—poor Guizot with his noble, pale, melancholy face, which drew my eyes to it every moment– Cousin, Villemain, Montalembert, De Tocqueville, Molé, .. numbers of others: and Alfred de Musset looked like a poet—and altogether, I am very glad I went—very. Also, it did no harm beyond a little tiring, which was more than I deserved certainly,—was’nt it? But upon the whole, I do behave prudently, .. I did not go last night to hear exquisite music at Mrs Stewart Mackenzie’s close by– I mean to be quiet, & well, & then go to England & enjoy you, as I dont anything else in the world my darling Arabel, .. believe that of me! Only if I dont find you well .. if I dont hear that you are well .. Oh—Arabel, do write & say how you are. And be sincere—otherwise there’s no use in it. As to dearest Henrietta’s anxiety, I have as much reason to be anxious .. have’nt I? Certainly I should as little like to miss her, as she could, to miss me. But, in the first place, the militia arrangements never can take place as soon as she imagines—why, the bill has scarcely passed the Commons yet, has it? [4] There’s no danger at all– Then if I went to England before the summer has not only “come in” [5] but sate down, there would be an end of me—and really it is desireable that I should be quite well & strong before facing the mildest of your days– It is fair to England & to me too. What would be the use of vexing you all to your hearts by going to England to cough in a little black room, & no more? You can scarcely imagine the immense difference of this climate– My dear Arabel, we have been broiling throughout May—it has exceeded the usual Florentine May in heat, .. but has been oppressive, from the quantity of electricity in the air– I think that, for the last week, we have had thunderstorms every evening. Peninni is out the whole day .. under the trees in the garden till the heat of the day goes off, .. and the open air facility is a great advantage to him while he is passing through the stage of convalescence. Otherwise, of course, change of air is the best thing for the hooping cough. But he never coughs, not he– He is quite well—and day by day he gets stronger & rosier & fatter .. I am content, which is saying all. Thank God for all His great mercies. Did I tell you that ever since the hooping cough came on, he lost his nervous affection, which, before then, was still occasionally observable– He is in the highest spirits, &, I do not doubt, will soon look as well as he ever did.
Well—you are right in some things. I believe that I am better without excitement– But the unfortunate thing about that evening business was, that goodnatured Mrs Butler [6] had taken a place for us after waiting ever so long for me & the weather– Just as the evening came, up came an east wind as my particular friend, & would be of the party. I did not like to stay at home & spoil it all, & have my place paid for .. & though I hesitated, & Robert hesitated more– We stood in a state of indecision even on the staircase, and at last Robert snatched me up in his arms throwing a shawl over my head, & carried me down into the carriage– It was unfortunate & did me no manner of good of course .. but still, I maintain that I caught my influenza from Robert himself & that he caught it from Miss Fitton, whom, to my utter astonishment, he was coolly preparing one night to “sit up with”– You know (or you dont quite know) that Robert is one of the most sympathetical of human beings,—and poor Miss Fitton being old & ill, & he hearing that she really “ought’nt to be left with only servants” who were supposed to be not trustworthy, considered it quite natural that he should go and nurse her–. I was surprised– Miss Fitton had lived in Paris above twenty years & knew everybody, and certainly I thought that if anyone stayed with her it should be a female friend & not Robert, who was not likely, in my view of the matter, to be admitted into her bedroom. However, he was admitted fast enough—he did not spend the night there because it was found to be unnecessary, .. but he administered the medecines, & poor old Miss Fitton has never recovered the fit of gratitude into which she fell straightway. She says it was worth while to be ill to have received such a kindness, & that the medecine he gave her, cured her at once– Poor thing!
I am glad you took my view about his going to England.
According to the prophecy of Swedenborg, there’s to be a great influx of Spiritual lights this year, so look out, if you please– [7]
God bless & love us all. How pleasant to know that this world is not the end.
Your ever attached Ba–
A shower of loves upon Trippy—and I think about seeing her—loving her tenderly as I do– Mention Henrietta’s baby—& everybody. Write & tell Henrietta Robert’s best love.
Address: Angleterre / Miss Barrett / 50. Wimpole Street / London.
Publication: EBB-AB, I, 494–498.
Manuscript: Berg Collection.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. “Lightning bolt.”
3. The Daily News of 29 May 1852 reported that the reception of Alfred de Musset into the Académie Française, held two days before, drew “a brilliant assemblage of company, with the usual crowd of ladies, to the Palace of the Institute” (p. 5). Musset read the eulogy for the late member he was replacing, the playwright Emmanuel Dupaty (1775–1851).
4. In response to the growing (though unfounded) fear that France was becoming a military threat to England, prime minister Lord John Russell had introduced a National Militia Bill in early February 1852. The bill was defeated however, leading Russell to resign later that month. Soon afterwards, the new government, headed by Lord Derby, introduced another Militia Bill, not significantly different from the previous one. Following much debate, it passed the House of Commons on 22 June, went quickly through the House of Lords (the Duke of Wellington supported it in his last public speech), and became law on 30 June. It authorized the reorganization of the militia from a compulsory service to all-volunteer, with the incentive of bonuses, and called for an increase in the number of men in the militia to 80,000 over a three-year period.
5. Cf. “sumer is icumen in” from the anonymous 13th-century “Cuckoo Song.”
6. Mary Butler (née Tulip). As indicated at the beginning of letter 3045, the “evening business” refers to the Brownings’ attendance at a performance of La Dame aux camélias.
7. EBB’s comment in the second paragraph of letter 3058 would indicate that here she refers to something she read in Swedenborg’s L’Apocalypte Révelée … Traduit du latin … par J.-P. Moët, … et publié par un ami de la vérité, J.A.T. (1823). Although that work contains references to “spiritual lights” and “influx,” we have found no specific mention of the year 1852.
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