4195. EBB to Arabella Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 25, 138–140.
Florence–
Saturday– [26 June 1858] [1]
My beloved Arabel I shall write more at length to Henrietta almost directly—but I must send you these words by way of vehicle to the enclosed letter to Jessie White, now Mdme Mario—you remember her– She has written to me twice to ask if “still I loved her”– The first letter I let pass– But the second I am forced to answer, & this has given me much pain. You know that I have been on very loving terms with her– Think then how cruel I have been to myself in saying that I could not & would not hold her hand while her party suggested or tolerated such deeds as that of last February [2] in Paris, & supported such men as the criminal liberated by an English jury more lately. [3] Yes, I have written a strong letter which will grieve her, poor thing [4] —but I felt myself constrained to write it– I will not have to do with assassins– And after the lamentably immoral jockeying which we have seen lately in England running through official papers, parliamentary speeches, & courts of law, I think that all liberals & democrats should come out & say clearly that they will have a clean democracy & a loyal liberty or none at all. Happily Robert agrees with me quite–
Dearest, I am much better .. & you are not likely to see me looking “miserable” in any sense– In fact, as I have had three artists lately taking my picture [5] .. (only one of them an amateur ..) you may be certain that I am respectable in the face, or Robert wd not consent to it.– Otherwise, I am not yet quite right, but so near it as to have agreeably contradicted Dr Harding’s presage, who told me a month ago that he could’nt hope to do more than lift me up a little till I removed to the sea– Indeed I had not a hope of being so much better so soon– Everybody is surprised to see me—& you have not an excuse for one moment’s thinking in the shade about me darling Arabel– Such quantities of steel I have taken & take! Having swallowed some dozen pokers & going on to swallow more, I am on the way to be an iron woman .. a female Duke of Wellington [6] .. & shall be more than ever hard to deal with in spirit-matters & other things. You make me smile by your positive opinion that I shall “never be a medium”– You think so– We shall see.
And what is best, we shall see each other. Oh thank you my dearest, for your most kind promise of coming to see me– The tenth of August makes it late—but I am grateful for it anyhow. And how good of dear George to come too!– You made my heart leap [7] —& it has not been given to leap for long– I shall write from Paris & let you know when & where we go—at present we have’nt a notion of the where. It seems to me that you had better come to us in Paris & travel on with us– George might come after—& if you meet Henrietta at Bryngwyn you wont want her to visit you at Delamere Terrace—only that certainly you are a she-bishop & “given to hospitality,” [8] & it must be contrary to ecclesiastical law in me to propose to cross the purpose of any of your visitors– Ah darling Arabel—you are not vexed with me, are you? You see I’m a vagabond—& unEnglish—and I’ve forgotten clean all the sanctities of roofs & thresholds .. simply remembering hearts & loves—dont be vexed with me unless I forget the last– Dear, one of these days you shall have more than enough of us .. we’ll eat your dinners, dirty your sofas, tumble about your chairs, & talk unpleasant heresy in your ears, till ruined in purse & rumpled in patience you beg us very softly to move as far off as the next street, & remind us that you are not an absolute bishop after all.
I wish you had said in your last letter exactly how you were. You never say enough of yourself—it is a want in you. And I fill up all such vacancies by fears about you—so remember.
Dear, how can I “advise” you about Emma? It is a subject on which I cannot advise– If the child is a comfort to you, keep her—if she burdens you, part from her at once. I agree quite that if you keep her you should not send her home at this time. But whether you shd keep her or not is a matter of personal feeling. I dare say her parents [9] will be disappointed, but that is not the question at all—only it will become one if you do not decide quickly–
This is saturday & we go next week .. perhaps wednesday .. or thursday– Love to dear Minny– Direct to me in Paris at 151 Rue de Grenelle, Faubourg. [10]
Your ever ever loving Ba–
How sorry I am about dear Mdme Braun. [11] Tell me– Does she seem to have any light—any hope? beyond death. I feel inclined sometimes to write to her– Would she be able to read a few words– Oh—Miss Bayley! I never thought her capable of it– [12]
Address: Angleterre viâ France. / Miss Barrett / 7. Delamere Terrace / Harrow Road / London.
Publication: EBB-AB, II, 352–354.
Manuscript: Berg Collection.
1. This letter is postmarked 27 June 1858, a Sunday.
2. Sic, for January. EBB refers to the attempt to assassinate Napoleon III on 14 January 1858 (see letter 4121, note 5).
3. Simon Bernard (see letter 4175, note 3).
4. This letter has not surfaced.
5. The only one of these artists we have been able to identify is Michele Gordigiani (1835–1909), a Florentine, commissioned by Sophia Eckley to paint EBB’s portrait in oil. The next summer, intending to only touch up the painting, Gordigiani proceeded to execute an entirely different portrait of EBB over the original.
6. The 1st Duke of Wellington (1769–1852) was known as the “Iron Duke.”
7. Cf. Wordsworth, “My Heart Leaps Up” (1807), line 1.
8. Romans 12:13.
9. Samuel Goodin Barrett (1812–76) and his wife, Susanna Maria (née Bell, 1816–1904).
10. The address of RB’s father and sister.
11. In the postcript to letter 4148, EBB reported that Anne Braun was “suffering from a supposed incurable cancerous affection.”
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