Correspondence

319.8.  Henry Cotes & Jane Hedley to EBB

Addendum to The Brownings’ Correspondence, vol. 2.

7ber 15th [sic for 25th] 1828– [1]

Dear Miss Barrett,

Never can I think you either obtrusive or intrusive by sending me your thoughts which I value highly, whether they accord with mine or not. There is so much of Spirit & Depth in them that I am amaz’d, & say to myself, whence has this young woman all these sentiments, this Flow of Soul—from what Store doth she draw? Aëre quem spirat vel sit ab Ingénio? To the latter I attribute much– And to vivid, self working Deep Reflection on what you’ve redd—& digested—and made it all your own, more. True, I deprecate Authority, when Authority errs. Horace was a great Poet—a Lyrical Poet as Great in Lyrics as Virgil was in epics or, (in his more Beautiful Poem) the Georgics. Sec vth ode of 3rd B. Regulus’ speech from “Signa ego Punicis[”] &c– Then, what is said of Regulus “Fertur pudicæ[”] &c a very affecting, very poëtic Ode; equal to almost any thing I ever met with. What an admirable Subject for a Picture!

And in the 1st Ode of 3rd B. which you will turn to, & relish his sincere Praises of an unambitious Country Life– I say sincere, for, altho’ Horace was not a good man—not a whit better than Virgil, in point of Morals, yet he was content in a middle station—an amiable feature in his character– Under such a Prince, & such a prime Minister Horace might have heap’d up a larger Fortune. By the way, have you ever met with Sotheby’s Poetic Version of the Georgics—superior it is to Wharton’s or to Dryden’s even to the French version by De lille (I think he is called)[.] Beresford has well rendered the Æneid—Dedicated very affectionately to Dr B[e]rodmore our [2] old Master– But, I would not have labour’d at that Poem so many years. Time & Abilities thrown away!– Still, however well rendered, better to read it in the Original– And they who cannot read it in the original, will hardly labour thro’ it in an English Version. Not so The Georgics; according to Dryden “The best Pöem of the Best Pöet.” Virgil’s Praises of a Country Life afford a matter of Trial of Skill to Translators, and Sotheby bears the Prize.– But I forget myself—and seem to have forgotten your valuable spirited Note– “Why Did Pope write bad English?” He could not help it. He was no Scholar. “And how do you know that Pope wrote bad English?” You shall judge yr own self. I cite from Warburton’s edition of Pope– First I take his celebrated Messiah—upon that and that only I shall dwell. There are in his Essay on Man innumerable Errors. Mine are not Hypercriticisms. We expect sense as well as Poetry–

Ye Nymphs of Solyma! begin the Song;

To heav’nly themes sublimer strains belong.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(*“O thou my Voice inspire

Who touch’d Isaiah’s hallow’d lips in the fire.”

* would the Spirit of the line be done away by this Alteration

“May He my voice inspire who &c”

Suppose instead of

Rapt into future Times the Bard begun

A Virgin shall &c &c

we alter to

“The Bard enrapt—thus was the Lay begun

A Virgin shall” &c &c

I do not note his gross inaccuracy–

See also line 11

Tho’ Ætherial spirit o’er its leaves shall move

And on its top descends the mystic Dove.

I do not note the error. Had he written

“While on its top descends &c” the error would have been avoided viz the “And” coupling the present “descends” with the future shall move.

Line 41. ’Tis he th’ obstructed paths of sound shall clear”

had he written ’Tis his the’ obstructed paths of Sound to clear”– The error w’d have been avoided.– He repeatedly writes begun to jingle with son. We are all much obliged to Pope & had Warburton (who also wrote miserable English) corrected these Errors in these Noble Poems Pope would have been much obliged to him. So that Pope’s is not Authority—when he writes Nonsense– Not to condescend to look at your Grammar! I like a word Aptly coined: a word that drops as it were into its proper place, and makes one feel the favor of it: But I do not like the introducing, or the coining of New words needlessly. See Messiah line 86 “Exalt thy tow’ry” &c &c why not “tow’ering”. Pope’s Messiah is, however, a Beautiful Poem. But you seem’d so confident, that I could not resist the challenge of convincing you that Pope wrote Bad English– Excuse me– Pardon me this gentle Attack– Aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus. Neither Pope, nor that Goliath, Warburton are good Authority. Not enjoy the first three Books of the Georgics! Read thru them again & again; for, you must, & shall like them– Dyer’s Ruins of Rome as well as his Fleece you will also like– You see how positive I am notwithstanding the old Adage De Gustibus &c &c– I must confess that your good Aunt has indulg’d me with the sights of some of the most exquisite Morsels of Poetry I ever met with. They are in your handwriting. They are yr’s Nobody but you c’d have written them. That “to a Child” on first cutting his Hair– So much Spirit—so much—I know not what peculiarly y’r own.

But of all y’r Poems The Vision of Life & Death is most affecting– <Did you ever meet with a Book of Poems entitled “Amaranth?” There is “The Vision of Death”– Amaranth was written by ye Chaplain of that Elegant Lord Chesterfield whose Letters were published–> [3] It is so good that I request you will grant me a Copy. Let me transcribe it. This I do not without your Permission. I hope to live to see that & y’r other Poems in Print– Any, that I very much like, I always strive to improve by Correction or Alteration; but I will venture to correct (let me not say corrects) suggest an Improvement here & there– It is, as I wrote at the Bottom, beyond Expression beautiful. They all strangely are beautiful! Now, I will tell you what I like least “On the Death of the R’t Hon: George Canning.” The introduction of his Son following the Bier is affecting– But Mr C: was not “Integer vitæ scelerisque purus–” He was not the man <sternly good—not the Friend of Fire and Water—paratus ad omne punctum> [4] to stand the Shock of Temptation– Witness his Decamping before the Queen’s Trial. For, why desert his Post at the Trial of the Queen? Who, whether guilty or not, never sh’d have been submitted to an Examination, for what her Husband permitted her <by his own example> [5] to indulge in. But this, to the Shame of the Nation, was allowed. That, the King can do no wrong, as King is politically true <because from him all Laws emanate> [6] —but, as a Man he must be judged at the same Tribunal as the meanest Xtian; and w’d not wear his Crown upon this [7] condition—“With what Judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.”

In the vth Vol of British Critic for the year 95 I find the name of your Friend “Uvedale Price Esq’r,” honorably mentioned in a Review of his Essay on the Picturesque &c &c. My old Friend Horace says “Ut Pictura Pöesis”– But how Sight & Hearing can assimilitate; how they are blended together—I know not. But that the Senses are all connected I am persuaded, tho’ I cannot exemplify [8] my meaning. Did you ever meet with a Book of Sonnets written by two Gentlemen of Newcastle 10 years ago: “Entitled Sixty Five Sonnets with Prefatory Remarks on the Accordance of the Sonnet with the Powers of the English Language”?– Sonnet 29, which is to the Point of this Blending of the Senses, I here send you. Is it not presumption!?

Music, high maid, at first essaying, drew

Rude sketches for the Ear, till with skill’d hand,

She trac’d the flowing Outline, simply grand;

In varied groups to grace & nature true;

And this was Melody. Her knowledge grew,

And, more to finish, as her pow’ers expand,

Those beauteous draughts, a noble scheme she plann’d;

And o’er the whole a glow of colouring threw,

Evening’s rich painting on a pencill’d sky,

Tints that with sweet accord bewitch the sense–

’Twas Harmony: The common crowd that press

Around, prefer the charms these hues dispense,

As they, chance-mingled, on the Palate lie

To her white form of unveilëd loveliness.

Remember that Dryden prefers the Georgics to the Æneid.

As Old Wesley said when he gaily took leave of a Room full of Ladies at the Age of 80 with a Kiss Round “I shall be happy to renew our Acquaintance in the future state.” So I may say to you without the Kiss

I am Dear Miss Barret

Your sincerely H Cotes

P.S. I leave the other side for your Aunt to say what she will.

[Continued by Jane Hedley]

Dearest Ba: As Mr Cotes has kindly left an odd corner of this odd sheet for “your good Aunt” to fill, she gladly squeezes herself into it in the hope of being noticed after “you’ve redd & digested” the more interesting production of his pen– I assure you dearest Ba, it is quite impossible for me to express how much you have delighted this good old man, & your little Poems seem to have laid all other Poets upon the shelf of his Library. I long for a letter from dearest Bell today, for though I always trust that no news is good news, yet at times, this assurance is insufficient to allay all the anxiety, with with [sic, for which] I think of your beloved & invaluable Mother & her long & tedious suffering. Kiss her for me most affectionately, & assure her she is ever in my thoughts. Dearest James’s Society I am sure will be a comfort to her, & of use to Bell too, of whose spirits I shd like to hear from some other pen than her own, for although on all other subjects it excels, yet on that, she is the last authority on wh I shd depend. How often do we long to take a peep at dear dear Hope End, and all so dear to us there! If the Winter were but passed. I trust this happiness will again be ours, & I positively live upon the thoughts of it– Sweet Baby grows more & more like you & now runs alone, & only alone, for she is so proud of her newly acquired powers that she will not allow any one to touch her. My kind dear Husband has just indulged me by the promise of having Robin’s picture taken by the celebrated Mrs Robertson, who we expect here next week for the purpose– À propos, your dear Mama I expect will have received a parcel from London containing two Air Pillows, which I beg to say she must accept from me. I hope some of you will have tact enough to find out how they are to be used, for if properly inflated, & not too much they are delightful. God bless you dearest Ba. Mr Cotes will not allow me another moment. Robin is sitting by me, putting a Map of Pictures together, which he does from a Copy quite alone, he is a clever little Boy.

Most affecte love to all Ever dearest Ba, believe me yr affecte J.E.H.

I have been so rushed I read not what I have written. Kiss Sweet Henrietta for me–

Address, on integral page, in Henry Cotes’s hand: Miss Barrett / Hope-end / Ledbury / Herefordshire.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.

1. Day provided by postmark.

2. Interpolated over “his.”

3. Interpolated above the line.

4. Interpolated above the line.

5. Interpolated above the line.

6. Interpolated above the line.

7. Interpolated over “that.”

8. Interpolated over “define.”

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