3352. EBB to Sarianna Browning
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 20, 129–133.
[Rome]
[6 March 1854] [1]
Robert & I have been agreeing this morning that you have waited too long for a letter, dearest Sarianna– I do hope you have not been thinking so anxiously yourself– Penini will be five years old in three days which he never ceases to ring in our hearing,—modestly insisting on having a “live horse and an elephant” as gifts for the occasion– He has nearly finished his first copybook in which are inscribed all the names of all his friends—“now I have finished mine uncles”. Having finished his uncles he would have it that Louis Napoleon should have a conspicuous place, & the page sacred to the empire was written like copper-plate engraving .. every energy exercised to the utmost. At last, with a deep breath of satisfaction, he said to himself .. “Now, I sint Napoleon must do me two bows.” He has a scheme that when we get to Paris, upon the first Napoleonic procession, he is to stand at the window with the famous copybook open at the “Louis Napoleon” page, when of course “all the flags will stop, and all the peoples cry viva.” In this way the glory of the Empire & of Penini will be combined, which (after the French & English alliance) is the consummation most to be desired by the world at large– Meanwhile he has not considered it infra dig—to enjoy the carnival exceedingly– I have not seen a rag of it, by the bye, but I have had my pleasure through Penini who has been overwhelmed with bonbons .. no wonder .. think of his standing on a balcony at the Corso, masked in wire (to prevent the concussion of confetti) and pelting the carriages so vehemently that Wilson had to keep close behind, to prevent him from throwing himself over instead of a sugarplum– He showed the right Italian unabashed impudence the last evening, siezing & blowing out the Duke of Prata’s moccoli [2] as fast as they were lighted, to the amusement of the standersby who came & told me– I am thankful to say that the climate of Rome seems to have hurt him in no degree up to this time, though I would not for the world run the risk of keeping him here another winter– I have the worst opinion of the climate generally– It is good for persons of weak chests, and agrees well with me. I have had more cough than at Florence, lately, but the reason of that has been .. first that I used my advantages imprudently, .. and then, that the actual cold during three weeks has been beyond anything I ever felt in Italy except during the winter of 1849. Still, we must be just & reasonable– The winter has been an abnormal one for severity everywhere, and it has certainly been much milder here upon the whole than on other points of Europe .. even Pau– The Roman climate is excellent for mildness—but as to trusting my husband & child to the “tender mercies” [3] of it, I would rather cough away my own life in London for my part– I never feel as if they were safe here. Fever seems watching at the corners of the streets for victims. Oh—we should trust God more—that is, I should!—but the truth is, I shall be thankful & relieved to get away from Rome, in spite of my Penini’s unfaded roses– [4] Florence roses, those are! You will think he looks much stronger than when we left you. The Thackeray-girls were quite struck by it. Yet he has lost none of the spiritual look & infantine gentilezza. [5] I do assure you, Sarianna, there is nothing in that child I ever wish to see changed. A more divine disposition there cannot be in a human baby,—and his quickness & intellect are of no account in joy to me, proportionably to the beauty of the moral nature– The prayers of saints have helped in his development .. that I know & feel daily. The other day he was in great haste about having a candle lighted to find some bon bon supposed to be rolling fast away into infinite space, .. and in a moment of irritation he exclaimed but without the slightest acrimony, “Oh Lily, I hate you.” Wilson & I were very much surprised, and she said, “I never heard you say such a thing in my life, Penini– Is it possible you could say it to me?” Upon which he looked thunderstruck & exclaimed earnestly .. “But dear Mama .. but dear Lily, I not know what word I said–” He meant he did’nt understand that he was saying anything very strong—he had thought, I am certain, that it was just an expression of disapprobation, & no more– So I told him the meaning of the word & how gentle Jesus did not like it, and he said directly he was “velly solly” and would’nt say it again. This was a week ago. Yesterday he was down stairs with certain children .. the little Sartorises among them .. & he told Robert & me this morning at breakfast, that Greville (the boy Sartoris) had been “naughty and ’pertinent” and pushed his gun into the fire. “Did you cry,” I asked. “No– I only said, I not bring my gun to show you any more, if you do that.” “Well,” said Robert .. “I am glad you spoke gently & did’nt say anything rude.” “Oh no”—he exclaimed earnestly .. “I did not say hate.” So pretty & sweet it was of the child, .. was’nt it? ‘Of such are the Kingdom of Heaven.’ [6]
Sarianna, I am going to ask you and the dear nonno to do something for me, or rather for Arabel– You know she is deeply interested in the Ragged Schools– There is to be a bazaar in Baker Street for their benefit,—& much against her will, she says, she has been dragged into the unpleasant position of holding one of the stalls– Nearly all the ladies who will be stall-keepers are friends of hers, & there was a difficulty which they forced her into supplying. Well—she has written to Robert & me for verses, which are to be printed—of course we acceded. There are few causes in this world I would serve more willingly– She is overburdened with getting up work for sale-purposes, and it occurs to me to ask you (she would be rather shy about doing so herself) to do a few of your beautiful drawings .. such as you have thrown away on Penini to my great grudging .. and to send them to her by any opportunity which may occur. The bazaar takes place on the nineteenth of April. Your finished drawings, with the dear Nonno’s characteristic outlines, would be most acceptable in different ways. I have just told Arabel I would ask you both. Will you do it for her .. and the cause?
As to clairvoyance &c &c .. you are not incredulous you say– Ah. Sarianna!– Now, I think, in Alexis’s statements for instance, you should separate between the false & the true—(because half his statements were literally true)—& not ignore the verity because of the falsehood. Shall I tell you what I conclude from the whole history? —That he saw your minds, and your thoughts, knew precisely as much as you did, & that everything beyond, he dreamt & did’nt see at all. Because you did not think of my part of Robert’s letter, he did’nt mention or discern it– The power of thought reading is so common among these seers that you may convince yourself by a thursday or two with Alexis, if you think it worth while– The extended & independent clairvoyance is much rarer. Alexis probably has it occasionally but not always– In the matter of the ‘writing,’ I believe absolutely in the involuntary character of it & the special force. These are facts to me. As to the theory of causes I have an opinion of course .. but other people too may have opinions—it is still an open question. I should be very sorry, for my part, to be dogmatic on any question of this kind, the difficulties of which are great, & the forms, various. But mediums do not ‘lie’ when they say a force independent of their will, moves the pencil– I, for instance, feel that force, whenever I take up a pencil in reference to the subject, although the power is insufficient with me to the forming of words or letters, & I may testify to the physical fact of it—so far. If the spiritual world inflows into this, is not the bare consequence an influx both of good & evil. I do not believe in the “lying-wonders”-theory. [7] The Jesuits have taken it up here however, as many churchmen & dissenters in England have. It is all strange.
March 10.
Let me remember to tell you a saying of Penini’s the other day– He came in from walking with an earnest face .. “Dear mama, I saw today the point of the trees of the place where they put Joe’s outside”– Of course he meant the cemetery. A clairvoyante who speaks of the “shell of us” (meaning the body) could’nt have expressed it more definitely.
Robert has kept this letter so long (in the hope of sending it more quickly) that Penini’s birthday happened yesterday. He was very happy, our darling. We kept the day secret, so as to prevent people from fancying themselves obliged to make presents .. but the secret oozed out in one or two quarters, & several largesses occurred. For my part I went out the day before with Wilson & came back laden with gifts—which Robert & I shared between us– A kitchen—a farmyard—a sword—a book of costumes– Ten good shillings we spent on him– Then we dined at one, and he had a carriage afterwards to take him & Wilson & Ferdinando to the Doria Pamfili gardens, [8] where he was in an ecstasy among the violets, & came home with a basket-full, & with his legs well scratched in the “boschi.” [9]
At seven oclock he drank tea with Robert & me, & we had knead cakes & muffins. “Such a nice time!!”—to use his own expression. Think of his remembering to thank God in his morning-prayer for “mating me five years, and well and dood.”!—— How God blessed us when he sent him!–
I am afraid you may be nervous through not hearing sooner. It is wrong of us indeed– Love us, notwithstanding, Sarianna! & dont requite us according to our sins by keeping us waiting for news of you. The weather has been exquisite these three days, here, & I am well—& we all are well.
Your ever affectionate sister
Ba–
Letters pay by weight as you see. It was changed just as we came.
Address, in RB’s hand: France. / Mademoiselle Browning, / Avenue des Champs Elysées 138, / Paris.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Lilly Library.
1. Year provided by postmark. Opening date based on EBB’s remarking that Pen “will be five years old in three days.”
2. “Candle ends.” See letter 3351, note 8.
3. Cf. Psalm 25:6.
4. The word “roses” is printed very distinctly rather than being written in script.
5. “Gentleness,” or “kindness.”
6. Cf. Matthew 19:14.
7. An allusion to II Thessalonians 2:9, a passage suggesting to some that the spiritual manifestations were the workings of Satan.
8. Attached to the Villa Doria Pamphili, just to the south of the Vatican. According to Murray’s A Handbook for Travellers in Central Italy (1853), it is “the most extensive villa about Rome. … The grounds are laid out in gardens, alleys, terraces, and plantations, among which the lofty pines, which form so conspicuous a feature in all views of Rome … add considerably to the beauty of the spot” (part II, p. 241).
9. “Woods.”
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