3833. RB to William Charles Macready
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 23, 27–28.
39 Devonshire Place, Portland Place.
Aug. 14. ’56.
My dear Macready,
Your note comes like your own hand given of a sudden: I can’t hope to say how strangely it touches & thrills me,—how happy I am to be where I feel myself in your regard—& you must know how truly & peculiarly I valued that ever– I will tell you the truth about ourselves, leaving you to understand the matter as you easily will. We are here (in England) to print my wife’s new poem—a long one: what with transcriptions, it is only just gone to press,—say, a fourth part of it,—and all the printing-business is to do: we have therefore the original two-months’ work before us, and but one month left—out of which a week must go to Mr Kenyon at whose house we are staying: he has been dangerously ill, but seems in a fair way of recovery at Cowes,—and thither we are anxious to proceed as soon as possible. And yet, desperate as is the present face of things,—will not your goodness hold out hope to the last and let me, at the very last, if the thing proves possible, write and ask to be received for a day or two at the end of September? It would be sad to leave England again without a sight of you & yours to carry away and turn to good in the long Southern evenings that we shall pass together,—my wife & I—for in all I say,—even to many memories of the past,—my wife really feels with me—& the thanks & delight are written for her as much as for,
My dear Macready,
Yours ever affectionately,
Robert Browning.
Warmest regard to Dear Miss Macready. [1]
Publication: Jack Herring, “The Baylor Browning Letters: Plans for a New Edition,” The Browning Newsletter, 1 (October 1968), 16.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.
1. Letitia Margaret Macready (1794–1858), the actor’s sister, who resided with him.
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