4149. EBB & RB to Sarianna Browning
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 25, 70-72.
| [In EBB’s hand] | [Florence] |
[Postmark: 25 March 1858]
My dearest Sarianna I am afraid Robert has been late in answering your last letter– As to me, I do nothing else. Everybody thinks ill of me now, & I have taken lodgings in Coventry for an indefinite time– Robert & Peni are well. Grippe is past & gone in all its consequences—and we are all turned homœopathists .. (dont be frightened)– I say there is hope for my ‘Spirits’ now, seeing that Robert believes there is a specific effect in a globule dissolved in water, .. or at least, may be: for he only admits that “certainly it does seem to him” &c &c. He has given up wine, tea, coffee,—takes chocolate “de santè” [1] as administered by the homœopathists, & is exact about his teaspoonfuls of medicated water. The effect is improvement in appetite, colour of the tongue in the morning, & a general regularity of system,—not to say (which I count much on) that the irritability of nerve to which he is constitutionally subject, as you know, is calmed down to a remarkable degree– Under the influence of nux vomica & chamomilla, for instance, the presence of Hume in Italy leaves us serene– Hume has even been in Florence for a day & night, without the roof flying off Casa Guidi– Which could’nt have been, Sarianna, without globules. Hume was in Pisa with acquaintances of ours, the Crossmans, & went on through Florence to Rome, being sent south by [‘]‘the Spirits” to recover his exhausted health– At first his power had seemed to be leaving him (there were only “faint sounds” at Pisa) but since his arrival in Rome, it is said to have returned. An English lady has lately died & left him an income of six thousand francs .. £240 English, a year. [2] He brought with him to show our friends magnificent presents made by crowned heads—among the rest, a set of studs in black pearl & diamonds, by the empress Eugenie, quite royal. He is much improved, they say, polished in manners, & anxious about paying all his debts in this part of the world– He has even paid the tailor for the celebrated surtout [3] —you remember. The last news from Rome is that he is to be married to a Russian—a girl of fortune & family—(can it be possible?—) [4] Next month, April, he comes to Florence on a visit to the Crossmans. I propose an agreement to Robert. I will take no step to see him anywhere,—and he (Robert) shall abstain from kicking him in the street, if ever they meet there. After which league & covenant, (nux vomica helping) I am not at all uneasy at the results of the future movement.
I have been out, & am hoping to get a little strength, which has quite waned from me under the influence & weight of the last crushing year, heavy with unspeakable pains of different kinds. I shall let Robert ruin himself in carriages for me, for I believe that nothing but air is the right remedy in such cases.
We have been much vexed by politics in England. If M. Milsand bears this, he is long-suffering indeed, Anglomane indeed. As for me who am called unEnglish by my friends, here is one of the causes of it!—<these are the things I hate.> [5] But I am English enough to be pained to the quick by the dishonor of all this intrigue & Brummagem brag. [6] For my part, I would rather that we had lost ten battles, than occupy such a position face to face to the French government—and Robert feels much as I do– What a difference in the tone & bearing of the two governments in their state papers. I should not be afraid with Jane Sandford of the French “murdering” me, .. but that they should think of me as they must think, .. there is the fear & pain. It is pitiful work,—pitiful. As to Louis Napoleon, he rises in magnanimity & straightforwardness with every step taken. Tell M. Milsand with my love, that we think the pamphlet, .. ‘Napoleon III devant le peuple Anglais’ [7] magnificent in all respects.
Now let me shut my eyes & change the subject. Peni was alone at a party last night, and we hear that he was so good, so ‘bellino,’ so ‘carino,’ [8] he left the best impression. Think of the child’s impudence– He played & sang to the piano, some air caught up by ear from the Florence street, about ‘women’s hoops,’—not having written music with him.! So pretty too, he did look when he went away, with his black velvet blouse, & embroidery, like a small hero of the middle ages–
Fanny Haworth is all at sea again about her plans, afraid of the expence & fatigue of travelling, yet by no means happy here. Oh for the “ornament” of a “quiet spirit”. A “meek” one [9] she has, poor thing– She is very, very amiable, & full of talent,—and miserable in proportion. Her headaches are a trial undeniably,—but the incapacity to make up her mind to anything, is a worse trial still.
I do hope you are both quite well. Has Robert been ashamed to tell Miss Blackwell of sea-expenses to Naples so much too late? They are rather large, I think, .. some eighty something francs from Leghorn to Naples, while from Marseilles to Leghorn it is a little more—besides necessary stoppages & food at Genoa, Leghorn & Civita Vecchia. Mrs Jameson has gone to Naples that way, & was caught in a storm, (which made me uneasy for her) .. & was detained at Civita Vecchia four & twenty hours.
God bless both of you– Robert’s love with mine to dearest Nonno, Sarianna.
Your ever affecte Ba
[Continued by RB]
Our poor little old Porter died suddenly a day or two since—aged about ninety—at least he was “near eighty” ten years ago—& a week or two before, an old woman died in the house aged a hundred and over—so that the Casa Guidi must be healthy—as I always thought. I have taken it for another year. [10]
Address, in RB’s hand: France. / Mademoiselle Browning, / 151. Rue de Grenelle, / Faubourg St Germain, / Paris.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. “Of health”; that is, chocolate containing a limited amount of sugar.
3. See the third paragraph in letter 3744.
5. Phrase in angle brackets is inserted between lines.
6. The Morning Post used a similar phrase to describe a speech that contributed to the defeat of the Conspiracy to Murder Bill (see letter 4130, note 11).
7. “Napoleon III before the English people.” EBB refers to L’Empereur Napoléon III et l’Angleterre by Arthur de la Guéronnière (1816–75), under the direction of Napoleon III, which was published in Paris during the second week of March 1858. Lengthy translated extracts from the pamphlet with minimal comment appeared in The Examiner of 13 March (pp. 166–167). Guéronnière briefly sketches the history of relations between France and England during the last six years. In that period, the emperor promoted the alliance, pursued a policy of conciliation, and restrained those of his countrymen who were hostile towards England. The late assassination attempt increased that hostility because “the assassins had come from England.” The right of asylum should not be invoked to protect such criminals. Guéronnière concludes: “As to the Government of the Emperor, it limits itself to explain the situation of affairs, to explain the causes of the irritation which the country manifested, and in other respects trusting to the loyalty of the English Government to give satisfaction to justice, to morality, to the interests of society, to international rights.” An English translation of the pamphlet was published on 17 March. Two editions were available: one at four pence and the other at one penny (see The Morning Post, 17 March 1858, p. 8).
8. “So ‘handsome,’ so ‘pretty’.”
9. Cf. I Peter 3:4: “… the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”
10. An entry in RB’s account book for this period shows that he renewed the lease on 1 March 1858, paying an annual rent of 100 francesconi, equivalent to a little over 22 pounds (see Appendix IV).
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