4171. EBB & RB to Sarianna Browning
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 25, 112-115.
| [From RB, in Sarianna’s hand] [1] | [Florence] |
[Postmark: 6 May 1858]
I begin with my best news,—that Ba is better, decidedly, I venture to believe: her eye was much inflamed when I wrote last—none the less, that she had tried three or four infallible remedies of people’s suggesting: at last, a lotion with opium did it good, & now it is all right, though not absolutely well. Her general health was very unsatisfactory indeed—the weakness was excessive: then, when the fine weather, & time for recovery in the open air, came—the inflamed eye threw her back for ten days & more. Dr Harding [2] happened to look in, & was struck by her evident weakness. I got her to consult him (having tried in vain to let him be called in earlier) & he said she had been very foolish to go on so long without advice, & she has been taking his remedies & going out daily. I can only say, nothing has been decided yet but one thing—that we still go to Paris, if we can, for a couple of months,—not to London. We talked it over two days ago, and Ba expressed far more anxiety to go and see you than I did. Just now, it would be impossible to set out; when we called at a friend’s door yesterday, Ba could not descend from the carriage: but if she gains strength we will do our utmost to go.
[Continued by EBB]
My dearest Sarianna, Robert must certainly have written in grey ink his last letter. I was afraid of letting him “go alone,” and it turned out as bad as I feared– The fact is, it’s rather depressing for him, poor fellow, to be yoked to a lame mare; every fresh stumble making him suppose an approaching overset,—though we jog on nevertheless– But you should read Robert right– He is always flying or lying, you know. (I dont mean lie-ing.) If I dont complain, he thinks me capable of riding a camel to Jerusalem through fifteen days journey of Desert—and if I do, he thinks it all over, & that there’s not a chance of getting to Paris even by railroad. Now I beg you to understand, dearest Sarianna, that I have by no means given up a journey north, as far as Paris, this summer. We shall go, if it is possible,—and presently I dare say it will be perfectly possible– Next winter is dedicated to Ægypt, Robert having made me swear to that effect,—but in this intermediate summer there are some months to be appropriated to you, unless a necessity should preclude it– I am getting rather stronger I hope, & looking more of the colour of life, Dr Harding having come in unawares & taken me up to “do” for me with quinine & steel [3] & the like. He says I had “let myself drop too long” .. which is the truth, perhaps—but I rely always for recovering strength on air & warmth, .. & this time, the nervous system had given way– Never mind– I shall get over it, I think– Now, you see, the unhappy catching cold in the eyes, turned me back a good deal,—stopped the going out– And it’s dull to be shut up in a dark room for ten days, without being able to read– I was never reduced to quite that before.
Observe– If we spend some of the sunny months with you, it will be the same thing as if we spent the winter with you & the summer in England as usual. The nonno will have the same use out of us, exactly. Then, after Ægypt, we can return again– Of course it would be delightful to have you here, .. that is if we could be sure of its not hurting either of you. We feel a little nervous however about the dear nonno, who is so well where he is, & to whom such a complete change at his time of life might not be perfectly safe– You are scarcely aware of the manner in which this climate is apt to affect some persons—especially if you dont keep them in carriages .. that is, if you allow them their ordinary exercise on foot– With men & women accustomed all their lives to travelling & the change of climate, it entails, the case is different of course– Well—there is time enough to talk of all this. I should like you to see Florence,—even if it did not please you, as perhaps it would’nt– One lives on into the life, I believe– But I am used to hear people rail at it till my ears ache, .. I, who love it so. As to society, .. Milsand is worth all we ever see .. & a good deal over—I would willingly exchange with you– In fact, we keep our doors shut, because we like our solitude—we wont receive—but there are many here like Fanny Haworth, who complain that they cant get on in society—cant make acquaintances by the sweat of their brow, [4] —seeing that they dont give entertainments & the like. Isa Blagden has been strongly advising her to go back to England among her old friends—and she will do it perhaps– I advise Paris,—because there, she will be less trammelled by the dread necessities of relationship, while the advantages of England will not be lost to her. But she decides, & then doubts, & then re-decides– Italy does not agree with her, it is clear. Think of a headache once a week, which confines her to her bed for two days, one of violent vomiting!– It’s enough to sicken you of life itself–
You will marvel at my not going to our homœopathy for my own part– But I am bound, you see, to my horrible morphine,—without which I fall to pieces, .. & with which, globules are impotent– To leave off the morphine, all agree, would be too great an experiment after this protracted habit– But you may suppose how our faith in homœopathy remains unmoved when I tell you that Robert has bought two complete homœopathic medecine-chests, .. one more portable than the other– [5] If he gets up in the morning with a bilious headache, he takes a globule—& by breakfast-time the symptoms retreat. No one could be more determined against a system than he was against this—& even now we both agree that there’s not an inch of ground to fight for it on, as a matter to be reasoned out .. only there’s the fact.– A quarter of an hour after taking a globule, the effect is produced. Now this is not diet .. no. Is it imagination? Does imagination clean the tongue, & regulate the functions of the body? Some one was saying the other day,—“it is electricity.” Electricity answers both for bodies & spirits now-a-days in a most satisfactory way.
But, dearest Sarianna, if you suffer, as you used to do, or if you are at all suffering from disorders of the digestion &c &c .. do try this nux vomica .. Buy a little bottle of the globules,—dissolve six in six table-spoonfuls of cold water, .. (keep them in a tumbler covered from dust & away from smells) & take one table-spoonful every night & morning till the tumbler is empty. Then wait three days, & begin again– If you feel rather worse at first, for a day or so, it’s a sign of convalescence. Observe, if you disbelieve, it cant hurt you, at least. Only you must’nt take coffee, .. nor tea, unless of the very weakest– Rather try the chocolate de santé, [6] which is excellent in Paris, & which Robert takes here– Wine & water, very weak, if you are accustomed to wine, you may take—but abstinence is better– Robert says that the effect is to regulate the functions of the body in a remarkable way–
Poor little Hal Cottrell is siezed with milliary fever just now, & his parents dare to have him treated by our homœopathic physician– [7] The child is better—but I confess I never should have courage or faith in globules, for such a moment of danger–
Peni is quite well & looking so. The “concert” [8] went off magnificently. The report was that he had been “molto bravo” [9] & that “the people clapped.”! Little Pen went to his triumph with no more fear than Thalberg would have done to his. But the fuss he made about his white gloves, was another sort of thing. He was the youngest performer of course, & next was the son of the professor, a boy of twelve, very clever & being educated for the profession of music– Pen played a duet with this boy, & a quartett with him, & the master, & another pupil, a girl of fifteen, .. which Pen says “was very beautiful,”—“two pianos wide opened with sticks, pedals down .. such a fine noise!” Then Pen played a solo,—M. Del Bene’s piece dedicated to him [10] —(but not to be met with at Paris, seeing that it is not printed.) The child gets on in music– Robert is very hopeful of him– The German too is not behindhand– He read nearly two pages of Grimm today quite fluently,—read & translated– If he could but spell better!
See how I have written a double letter, to make up for last time–!
Best love to the dear Nonno from Peni & Ba—
who is ever your affectionate sister.
My brother Harry is married [11] —& I do hope it will be a most happy marriage, besides the worldly advantages which are considerable. Fifteen hundred a year on the lady’s side, [12] & “large expectations”– And she is said to be very pretty & charming, and good & affectionate to boot,—meaning more than ten thousand a year—as I count thousands.
Address, in RB’s hand: France. / Mademoiselle Browning, / 151. Rue de Grenelle, / Faubourg St Germain, / Paris.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. RB’s part of this letter is not extant. The following paragraph is taken from Sarianna’s letter of 10 May to Joseph Milsand (see SD2157).
2. James Harding (1787–1868), one of “3 excellent English physicians resident at Florence” (Murray’s Handbook for Travellers in Northern Italy, 1858, part II, p. 519). Harding had been EBB’s doctor since her second miscarriage in March 1848, and he attended her at Pen’s birth on 9 March 1849.
3. A preparation of iron (see letter 4064, note 2).
4. Cf. Genesis 3:19.
5. RB bought the “more portable” medicine chest the previous month (see letter 4162, note 6). He recorded his purchase of the less portable chest on 7 May, the cost being 5 francesconi, 5 pauls (see Appendix IV).
6. “Of health”; that is, chocolate containing a limited amount of sugar.
7. Unidentified.
8. The musical soirée that EBB describes in letter 4169.
9. “Very good.”
12. EBB stated previously that Henry’s fiancée had “a thousand a year” (see letters 4121 and 4122).
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