3164. EBB to Sarianna Browning
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 18, 322–323.
[Florence]
[26 January 1853] [1]
Thank you, my dearest Sarianna, for your welcome little note. You are to thank the dear Nonno, too, for the most pretty drawing,—which Penini is enchanted with, and says he “muss put it in a flame” directly, .. not meaning a conflagration, I assure you, whatever you may reasonably conclude. Robert was wishing last night that you both could see the child in this particular phase of him, because you would more than ever appreciate him if you did. The truth is perhaps that Robert does a little want to show off Penini’s love for himself, which has grown lately into a sort of passion & cast me into dreadful pangs of jealousy– I, who was accused of being the spoiler,—I, who was decidedly rather the favorite .. who was always appealed to when anything peculiarly unreasonable was required as a comfort of life .. I am “pushed from my stool,” [2] have lost my pre-eminence, am in the second place most plainly! ‘Papa’ is made to sing him to sleep, as well as to draw soldiers .. & that, I think, is a clear case of usurpation. Oh—such coaxing & hugging & sporting on both sides, go on under my very eyes!– In defiance of Miss Fitton’s ethics Robert has even taken him out to pay visits several times lately. He is in the deepest deep of paternal infatuation—there’s no help for him!
The child is very sentimental .. always was, & always will be I hope, for sentiment is a great safeguard for men .. & women too perhaps, .. but for men especially. You should hear him say .. “Tome (come) mine dear Wobert– I want to loot in your face. I love you velly mush.” As we were sitting by the fire the other evening, he took a hand of each of us and said softly—“You two, mine flends!” (friends!) “Yes,[”] said Robert, “you know we love you better than anybody, .. dont you?” “Les, I know. If you go away, I tome in lis dlawingroom– No Papa & Mama! Den I tly velly mush. Den I die.” He said it in such a pathetic way, that Robert had tears in his eyes afterwards.
He was invited to a luncheon party two days ago, & went with Wilson. He told us when he came back that it was an “immense party, .. three, four, five ladies” .. whom, by the way, he amused by the information that Flush & Papa & Mama had two names each .. Flush & Tush .. Papa & Robert .. Mama & Ba– He was certainly good & communicative, till an attempt being made to deprive him of Wilson, he burst out into a fit of sobbing,—that was’nt to be borne. They were all strangers .. the Wills Sandfords, .. whom we have just begun to know—very rich people, .. & English Parisians, one may call them, as they have lived in Paris twenty years & will live on there after a few months at Florence & Rome. You cant think how that child is admired by everybody. His way of talking without the least shyness is one attraction. He tells us anything that happens to him most amusingly– Wilson took him into a church because it was raining & he wanted exercise somehow– He described it all on his return– “Well—I been to lurch– I said mine players. Velly pletty munit (music) in lis lurch—and lights, and flowers. Lis for gentle Jesus. A mont (monk) went upstairs and peat, (speak)—and tell the peoples to say their players and hear what Dod says.” Is it not a good account of a service & sermon? He is very anxious to see his Nonno and you, & talks a great deal of you & the Champs Elysées &c—but he says he must go for one day to Brome & Aples first–
Robert is going with my disapprobation & my cousin [3] to Vallambrosa tomorrow. I dont like such an excursion at this time of the year when the snows will scarcely be passable on the mountains—but they are resolved.
The winter has been singularly mild, only with more wet than usual. Be sure that if you have rain in Paris, every discomfort of the sort is exaggerated in England from whence I have miserable accounts. <***>
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. Date provided by EBB’s mention of RB’s going to Vallombrosa “tomorrow.” As indicated in letter 3165, the excursion was to take place on 27 January 1853.
2. Cf. Macbeth, III, 4, 81.
3. Robin Hedley.
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