3188. RB to John Forster
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 19, 42–44.
Florence,
Apl 12, ’53.
I was very glad to see the outside of your note, even—for it showed, dear Forster, that your right hand had not been affected, as last year—still it is very sad to think of you shut up for eight weeks. [1] I won’t begin on this, however, only believe I wish you your old health with all my heart—so do all your friends, as I see, or hear, at this distance. If I were in London, to go and sit with you as of old, would be the pleasantest thing I could do. Take the wish for the deed. I wish I could write a word you would like to hear, even now—but we have relapsed into the old sleepy life and depend on your papers for news. I was vexed to leave England without seeing you, but we had been delayed far too long—my wife’s cough was getting worse—we feared some fine seasonable frosty weather would land-lock us & end all. I don’t know how it happened that you got my note so late—it should have been delivered at once, to prevent such trouble as you took—but we went in a hurry and all touching us partook of it.
Yes, we hear of the American Copy-right Bill—without much belief in its bringing good to us. [2] You suggest that my wife should append some new poems to this next edition so as to save it—but would they save it? You remember the last “dodge” .. they would go on reprinting the old two volumes—reserving the new things for some separate publication—saying nothing about them meanwhile. The books are of their full bulk as it is—the expense of printing &c would increase,—very unnecessarily. And besides the corrected copy is sent home & in hand by this time. We see a good number of Americans—(had five with us last evening) [3] —they are kind & well-wishing—we shall get nothing better than visits of that sort—and a letter now & then, such as I had the other day—no, my wife had it, speaking of the success of that poor Christmas Eve which hasn’t paid printing yet. Who cares, after all! One of last night[’]s visitors brought an Indian ornament for our child—to his great delight, and “for this, with all the rest, were books ordained.” [4] You speak of “Colombe”—that is altogether “the house’s” venture, mind: somebody wrote to me the other day using a phrase that looked like a quotation from some bill or newspaper paragraph, to the effect that the play was “adapted to the stage by the author” [5] —a mistake: all I heard of proposed adapting was that the theatres want the five to be made three acts. I bade them do so, by all means. [6] In fact, one may as well suppose oneself dead and quiet and let the bustling care for you now as they will have to do soon enough—if they do care at all. I told Miss Faucit to do just what she liked, and dare say she will do neither more nor less, one whit, on that account. I always liked her. How odd the remembrance of play-going seems now—seven years since I was away—and for three or four years previously I had become strange to the benches—or boards, should one say? [7] I knew that new misery of poor Macready [8] when I wrote, & would not bring it in, on purpose—not knowing how you might be: I believe I was present at the poor boy[’]s baptism (with you?) and acted as proxy for Talfourd who was sponsor, but absent. Am I wrong? How does dear Macready bear up—I have no heart to send a word to him. God bless & comfort him, I can say to you at least. I would travel, were I he—get out of that miserable house [9] —but who can advise another?
We see something every now & then, and always to our great pleasure, of Mr Lytton—an older friend of yours, very likely, than myself even. One can hardly imagine a more interesting & attracting young man—& there is plenty of stuff in him, you will see—or probably, have seen. You inveterate Forster—marry, will you? How else will you get a son whom people shall look to, for your sake, and then like for his own—witness this father[’]s-son of him who wrote “My Novel,” which I am reading even now. [10] And let my son be friends with yours (“as Shafalus to Procrus, I to you”) [11] as you, dearest old friend, with your ever affectionate
RB
My wife[’]s kindest regards.
What think you—Barnum [12] has made a serious proposal to the Madiai, to exhibit them in the U.S. Fact!!! [13]
Address, on integral page: John Forster Esqre / 58 Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
Publication: NL, pp. 60–62.
Manuscript: Victoria and Albert Museum.
2. Efforts toward an Anglo-American copyright agreement had begun as early as 1836. On 17 February 1853, a copyright treaty between the two governments was signed and delivered to the U.S. Senate foreign relations committee the following day. Tabled on 5 April, the treaty was not considered again until Congress reconvened the following December. During the ensuing months, opposition mounted, and no vote was ever taken on it.
3. Mr. and Mrs. James Freeman Clarke, Marcus Spring, and Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Powers.
4. Cf. III Henry VI, V, 6, 58.
5. We have been unable to trace any such playbill or “newspaper paragraph.” However, in The Morning Post, Colombe’s Birthday was referred to as “a new play from the pen of Mr. R. Browning” (29 March 1853, p. 5). This statement may have prompted those familiar with the play to surmise that RB had “adapted” it for the stage.
6. The play was presented in five acts; see letter 3162, note 4.
7. RB refers to the period of time following his difficulties with William Charles Macready over A Blot in the ’Scutcheon in early 1843. See the biographical sketch of Macready in vol. 3, pp. 318–319.
8. Macready’s twelve-year-old son, Walter Francis Sheil Macready, died on 8 February 1853 at Sherborne, Dorset. Macready’s wife had died five months earlier, which prompted RB to write his estranged friend; see letter 3119.
9. Sherborne House, Sherborne, Dorset.
10. My Novel, by Pisistratus Caxton, or Varieties in English Life by Edward Bulwer-Lytton was published in February 1853.
11. Cf. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, V, 1, 199.
12. Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810–91), American showman known as P.T. Barnum, had exhibited Tom Thumb in England in the 1840’s. He later united his circus with that of James Bailey to form “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
13. The “proposal” was made by one of P.T. Barnum’s representatives, John Hall Wilton, to the Earl of Shaftesbury. On 24 March 1853 Wilton wrote: “As I am aware your lordship is always actively engaged in a holy warfare against the Roman Catholic religion … I calculate it is highly probable that Rosa and Francesco Madiai are likely to come under your Lordship’s patronage … . As agent for Mr. Barnum … I respectfully beg to be informed whether it is possible to enter into an engagement for these interesting people to exhibit themselves in our United States” (Edwin Hodder, The Life and Work of the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, 1887, II, 393). Hodder remarks that the letter “greatly tickled the humour of Lord Shaftesbury” but adds, “there is no record of the reply” he sent (pp. 392–393).
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