3567. EBB to Arabella Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 21, 189–191.
[Paris]
Saturday. June 30– [1855] [1]
My beloved Arabel
Things are clearing up a little. The boxes are found, & sent, thanks to Alfred—we have them: but we are not married yet, [2] & there are difficulties. You see, the legal marriage in France is the simply civil marriage– Religionists for the sake of their own consciences use their own forms—but the law exacts only the marriage before the mayor– Now the catholic church has its own rules—& one of these rules is, that, in mixed marriages, the children should be baptised & educated as catholics. Our difficulty is to find a liberal priest who will waive the condition– The archbishop of Paris would do it at once for us, & we are trying to penetrate to him. [3]
Meantime I get your satisfactory note. Dearest, we would rather not go to London till monday week. Take the rooms from then. You gave us an excellent account of them, & we are ready to pay two guineas & a half a week. Try to arrange a dressing room for Robert near our room–
Robert says, (being relieved & liberalized by the arrival of the boxes) that if you see any great advantage in the Baker Street rooms at three guineas, (with piano & gas) he will yield– Still—the two guineas & a half are more within our means—we had better be satisfied with Dorset Street—your account of which, in fact, is delightful.
Our boxes had about thirty pounds worth of property in them. Just imagine what a loss it would have been!—to say nothing of the inconvenience.
Dear Sette not better!– My poor dear Sette! Do write & tell me of him—for I am anxious–
We are going to see the famous Rosa Bonheur [4] (the greatest woman-painter, it is considered, who ever lived) & I am in a tremendous hurry, not to miss the appointment.
The Thackeray girls were here last night, in a horrible fright about “the Spirits”—“hoping it may not be there!!” Mr Thackeray said Hume a fortnight ago, had no visible manifestations,—but a bell was put into his hands & he felt the spiritual touches about his person, pulling him, pressing him. In his astonishment what do you think he did? .. he began to swear—gave out a volley of oaths—and then, by a reaction, turned intensely sick. The trouble & surprise were too much. His daughters say he does’nt know what to think: it was altogether astonishing–
Mrs Jameson too is here– I have been unbarbarizing myself in a Parisian bonnet—very pretty & very detestable.
Last night, our little salon was full of people—Corkrans, Thackerays, Mrs Jameson, Mrs <Butler>, [5] M. Milsand–
Between you & me, Mrs <Butler> came smelling intolerably of spirits .. both mentally & bodily. The tone of her conversation made me ashamed of her relationship to me– Dont repeat this to any-one–
I must go– I love you dearly– Love to everybody– I have sent you ever so many letters I find, for which you must have paid double, through my neglect of a postal regulation!
Your ever & ever attached Ba–
Try to arrange with the people to carry water up stairs every morning to our rooms—because Ferdinando is not accustomed to the stairs &c– Make the condition about the water at least– And we will accept your Refuge girl– [6]
Remember—Monday, 9th of July–
I was out yesterday, & so missed the post—& now Robert reminds that there’s no London post on sunday–
Sunday
Dearest Arabel, I do hope we shant lose our rooms by this mischance of posts.
I have just received your Florence letter, sent after me– Thank you, dearest– Write again directly.
Rosa Bonheur’s pictures are wonderful, & she herself charming—in her blouse & cropped hair– I hope we shall be friends next winter–
Do write, & speak of Sette particularly–
Address: Angleterre / Miss Barrett / 50. Wimpole Street / London.
Publication: EBB-AB, II, 160–162.
Manuscript: Berg Collection.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. i.e., Wilson and Ferdinando.
3. Marie Dominique Auguste Sibour (1792–1857), Archbishop of Paris from 1848 until his death by assassination, had contributed to the short-lived liberal periodical L’Avenir, founded by Lamennais in 1830. He was appointed archbishop “largely because of his prompt adhesion to the new government after the Revolution of 1848” (The Catholic Encyclopedia, Dublin, 1913). Consulted by Pius IX on the subject of defining the Immaculate Conception prior to its official proclamation as church dogma, he was one of a few prelates who opposed it.
4. Marie Rosalie (“Rosa”) Bonheur (1822–99), a French artist known for her realistic paintings of animals, was often referred to as the “French Landseer.” In a July 1855 letter, W.J. Fox quotes RB on her studio: “Browning says her atelier is like a select menagerie” (see SD1838). Mlle. Bonheur’s “Haymaking in the Auvergne” was currently being exhibited at the Exposition Universelle.
5. Mary Butler (née Tulip). The name in angle brackets here and below is reconstructed, having been obliterated after receipt, probably by Arabella.
6. Unidentified.
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