4058. RB to Edward Chapman
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 24, 149–150.
Bagni di Lucca.
Sepr 28. ’57.
Dear Chapman,
We leave this place, in a week or so, for Florence. You will be so kind, therefore, as to direct the “Athenæums” to Florence. By the way, I had better mention the Reviews & Journals that we see there—so as to prevent you from sending them, in case of any article’s appearance about “Aurora Leigh” &c—they are,—Blackwood, the Edinburgh, Quarterly, & Westminster. We can read all these, & one dose is enough. (N.B. Our own Rivista di Firenze of last month [1] has got a long article with translations—but we have not read it yet.)
On the 11th, I drew on you, thro’ Mrs Cordon, [2] of this place, for £40,—at 30 days’ date,—payable therefore next 11th October. As soon as I get to Florence I shall draw for the remainder, thro’ Philipson: [3] (if necessary I may draw part of it before I leave this place, but I don’t think I shall.)
Poor Lytton left a fortnight ago—better, but sadly reduced. I hope he is getting right at Florence. I wish you would write us a word of news,—at least of our own news.
Please send “Rollo’s Travels” [4] by post as before.
Publication: NL, p. 104.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. The review of Aurora Leigh did not appear in Rivista di Firenze until the issue of April 1858.
2. Presumably, the wife of Joseph Cordon, English goods retailer on the Lung’arno in Pisa, who ran the “English Store” at Ponte a Seraglio, Bagni di Lucca, during the summer (W. Snow, Hand Book for the Baths of Lucca, Pisa, 1846, p. 60).
3. Abramo Philipson; see letter 2751, note 8.
4. Rollo’s Travels (Boston, 1839), the ninth novel in Jacob Abbott’s first series of Rollo books. But RB probably has in mind Abbott’s second series, Rollo’s Tour in Europe (Boston, 1853–58), which consisted of ten titles, the first being On the Atlantic (Boston, 1853). In a 4 January 1858 letter to Chapman, RB writes: “You were to send us ‘Rollo’s Travels in Europe’” (ms at Morgan).
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