3147. EBB to Sarianna Browning
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 18, 272–273.
[Florence]
[Postmark: 14 November 1852]
My dearest Sarianna
You cant think how pleased I was to find myself in Florence again in our own house,—everything looking exactly as if we had left it yesterday. Scarcely I can believe that we have gone away at all. But Robert has been perfectly demoralized by Paris, & thinks it all as dull as possible after the boulevards—“no life, no variety”– Oh, of course it is very dead in comparison! but it’s a beautiful death, and what with the lovely climate & the lovely associations & the sense of repose, I could turn myself on my pillow & sleep on here to the end of my life—only be sure that I shall do no such thing. We are going back to Paris—you will have us safe. Peninni had worked himself up to a state of complete agitation on entering Florence, through hearing so much about it– First he kissed me & then Robert, again & again, as if his little heart were full. “Poor Florence,” said he while we passed the bridge– Certainly there never was such a darling since the world began. Think of that child not having his clothes off for two days & two nights, & being in the most imperturbable humour & high spirits the whole time .. sleeping in the diligences as if he were in bed, & waking at one oclock in the morning to cry out in ecstasy “Loot, mama! fine mountains”! Delighted he was with the sight of the snow, which he considered “molto, molto bella,” .. “pretty, pretty,” .. & thought me very unsympathetic for not being as charmed as he was at Lanslebourg when we woke in the morning & found ourselves surrounded by a white world. Indeed I suffered extremely through our unfortunate election of the Mont Cenis route (much more my own fault than Robert’s!) and was extremely unwell at Genoa, to the extent of almost losing heart & hope, which is a most unusual case with me. But the change from Lyons had been too sudden & severe. At Genoa the weather was so exquisite, so absolutely June-weather, that at the end of a week’s lying on the sofa I had rallied again quite, .. only poor darling Robert was horribly vexed & out of spirits all that time, as was natural– I feel myself every now & then (& did then) like a weight round his neck, poor darling, though he does not account it so, for his part– Well—but it passed—& we were able to walk about beautiful Genoa the last two days, & visit Andrea Doria’s palace [1] & enjoy everything together. Then we came on by a night & day’s diligence through a warm air which made me better & better. By the way Turin is nearly as cold as Chambery—you cant believe yourself to be in Italy. Susa, at the foot of the Alps, is warmer. We were all delighted to hear the sound of our dear Italian, & inclined to be charmed with everything; & Peninni fairly expressed the kind of generalizations we were given to, when he observed philosophically .. “In Italy, pussey tats dont never scwatch, Mama.” This was in reply to an objection I had made to a project of his about kissing the head of an enchanting pusseycat who presented herself in vision to him as we were dining at Turin. The child has begun eating on such an inordinate scale since our arrival here, that Wilson is half frightened. It’s the change of air, I suppose. Everybody admires him—no wonder!
Dearest Sarianna, do write often & tell us everything. I do hope you will have no cholera at Paris—but if you do, the sanitary precautions are great there. As to what you quoted .. as Robert observes, such things are said of every great city unfortunately—of none more than London. God bless & preserve you– We love you dearly & talk of you continually .. of both of you.
Your most affectionate sister
Ba.
Best love to your father. Peninni. [2]
Address, in RB’s hand: France / Miss Browning, / chez Madame Thomas, / Rue des Ecuries d’Artois, 63. / Paris.
Publication: LEBB, II, 93–94 (in part).
Manuscript: Lilly Library.
1. Situated at the north of Genoa’s harbor, it was given by the city to Andrea Doria (1468?–1560), the renowned Genoese admiral, in 1522. He later had it renovated by Montorsoli and decorated with frescoes by Pierino del Vaga, a pupil of Raphael. According to Murray’s Handbook for Travellers in Northern Italy (1852), it “is the most striking” of all the palaces in Genoa (p. 95).
2. This line is in EBB’s hand, though evidently from Peninni.
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