3938. RB to Charles Stephen Francis
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 23, 157–158.
Florence, Casa Guidi,
Decr 15. ’56.
Dear Sir,
I receive this morning your obliging letter and its enclosure, [1] which I endorse and return to London for payment. Pray accept my wife’s and my own best thanks for your handsome and prompt proceedings.
I was afraid the proofs would arrive somewhat tardily—but was anxious, as I told you, that there should not be a comma’s difference between your edition and ours—to the advantage of the latter. The success in London has been great,—as the whole edition was nearly disposed of in a fortnight and Mr Chapman went to press again on the 2d current: you may depend on it, not a copy was sold before the 15th ult.—the publication having been delayed till then in order to suit my arrangements with you. The new issue will be a mere reprint, without correction of a letter, [2] so that the value of yours will be uninterfered with.
We shall be happy to receive the copy you promise, and wish you every sort of good fortune with the Poem: your opinion of it is a great gratification to the author as well as,
Dear Sir,
Yours faithfully ever
Robert Browning.
Address, on integral page: Charles S. Francis & Co. / New York.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Yale University.
1. An order of exchange for £50 by Chas. S. Francis & Co., payable to RB who has endorsed the verso: “Pay Mr. Reuben Browning or Order value in account. Florence, 15 December, 1856” (see Reconstruction, E561). This was the second instalment of the £100 that Francis paid for the American edition of Aurora Leigh (see letter 3802, note 2).
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