3535. EBB to Isa Blagden
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 21, 113–115.
[Florence]
[mid-March 1855] [1]
My dearest Isa I do assure you Robert meant no harm by what he said about the “fuss” &c– You know his idiomatic way of talking, &, though it’s harder than Greek sometimes, you will manage to translate it. Certainly we ought not to discourage you from what is an effort worthy of praise in every case, whether it answers the purpose you intend, or does not– All that either of us meant to say was, .. that, however good your object might be, you [2] could do better .. which implied, in fact, a real compliment to you, though you never seemed to be aware of that!
Robert would be more violent with me than he has been with you—if I set myself now to learn Arabic .. once a favourite project of mine .. & a very useful acquirement in reference to my old Hebraic studies– You can, certainly, afford years of life, better than I can– Still I would not, in your place, spend one year so.
We have just looked at the book—I dare say a very useful book for the help of persons who teach themselves, after a certain routine– You are not advanced enough for even the first exercise, (if you ask me)—for verbs occur in it, & you have not begun the verbs– You should give yourself exclusively to the grammar for at least six months—(if you are very quick & studious) & to writing exercises on the grammar .. without attempting a translation– What you want is .. not such a book as this, for the present– You wont get on faster for it I think, though you may seem to get on faster.
So your opinion is, dearest Isa, that everybody who learns Greek must learn it thoroughly!!– I wish I had learnt it thoroughly for one. I dont consider myself well-grounded—though I have read over a wider surface than most scholars perhaps– I dont call myself well-grounded by any manner of means. As to what is called “knowing Greek,” in general, never was a vainer kind of smattering! That’s sure–
Now, dont vex yourself about your master. [3] He may, or may not, be a learned man– Probably, as an Italian, he fails somewhat– But then he does’nt require learning, to be useful to you where you are; & for the next two or three years he will do for you quite as well as any Blomfield [4] could–
I have put a great concentration of will upon languages .. & have read through in Hebrew from the first line of Genesis to the last of Malachi .. not skipping a line—also, nearly every word extant in Greek– For years I did nothing else. My belief is, that, though this was done in early youth, I lost time by it—& life. I believe that nothing helps the general faculties so little as the study of languages. It was therefore, I spoke. But after all I dont set up for a pope Joan, or to any papal form of infallibility. What you are inclined to do,—do womanfully .. & dont let Robert or me think for you .. which, in fact, we are not qualified to do,—if we tried. The master will answer excellently, I dont in the least doubt–
How can I guess into the future about Paris? I have’nt even a rapping spirit to help me to it–
I only entreat you Isa, not to sacrifice yourself about Louisa’s going—because she would go precisely as well to England with a servant, & you are not really fit for any great exertion .. such as might be necessary even at sea—how can you know?
Thank you dearest Isa for these lovely violets full of spring.
Robert slept not a wink last night,—but I, through my native vigour (and morphine) triumphed over the strong tea–
May God bless you. Charlotte Agassiz has been here, & Laura Getting—I will tell you–
Your ever most affectionate
Ba–
Publication: B-IB, pp. 67–69.
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. Date is based on EBB’s thanking Isa “for these lovely violets full of spring.” In letter 3533 (second paragraph), EBB mentions that Pen had been picking violets. The reference to “Louisa’s going” to England provides the year (see the fifth to last paragraph in letter 3533).
2. Underscored three times.
3. Unidentified. Isa Blagden pursued her study of Greek, as evidenced by a letter from Ada Shepard, governess of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s children, to her sister Kate: “This Miss Blagden is a charming person. She is English as is her friend, Miss Bracken who lives with her. They have a villa near us, and live quite like enchanted princesses. I go there to tea often, and read German with them and hear them read Latin and Greek. In all Florence Miss Blagden told me she could only find one teacher of Greek whom she could engage to attend to her, and he is dead now” (27 August [1858], typescript at Yale).
4. Charles James Blomfield (1786–1857), Bishop of London (1828–56), a highly respected classical scholar. EBB owned three of his translations of Æschylus: Agamemnon, Prometheus Vinctus, and Septem contra Thebas (see Reconstruction, A17, A21, and A23). He also edited and completed a translation, begun by his brother, Edward Valentine Blomfield (1788–1816), of August Heinrich Matthiae’s A Copious Greek Grammar (Cambridge, 1818).
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