4229. EBB to Anna Brownell Jameson
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 25, 205–207.
Le Hâvre. Maison Versigny. 2 Rue du Perrey
August 10. [1858] [1]
Here is an answer to your letter, my dearest Moña Ninà, with, inside, some words for poor dear Mdme Braun, which, as I dont know her address, I will give you the trouble of directing & sending to the post whenever you next send. I cant tell you how keenly I felt your account of Miss Bayley’s conduct towards her, & all the more, that I seemed to hear the very tones of Miss B’s voice in the philosophy of “poisoning” .. only that there is a touch beyond what I could have believed of her, in the cruelty of the application, as you relate the story. No, I could not have believed this, I could not. Tell me. Was not the Inquisitionist’s burning of bodies to save souls, really tender mercy [2] by the side of the intolerance of these materialists, who, for the mere aggrandizement of their barren doctrines, will torture souls in this way.? More merciful, yes, & more reasonable it was. A fanatical religionist is pitiable—but a fanatical infidel is hateful & horrible– As you say, one falls into swearing—and the swearing sounds like the “Keeping of the law” [3] ––does’nt it?–
Dearest Moña Nina, you speak briefly of yourself, but what you say expresses suffering—& I dont like it to be so, dearest friend. Get over your affairs & come abroad again, out of the mists & the associations .. come. As for us, yes, scorn us well. We are not a bit poetical here,—dont ‘take hands’ upon ‘silver sands,’ [4] or feel breezes under treezes, or do anything we might have done at more romantic places—only, though this is Havre & it’s disgraceful to be here, we bathe & get strength, & sit down close to the sea watching the animated ships & the swimming men & women .. everybody dressed observe,—because we are a moral people here in France, very different from ‘vous autres’ [5] who bathe indiscriminately, with bathing-gowns for one sex exclusively. [6] Also, prince Jerome is here, three yards from us at the hotel, and the Emperor is coming at the end of a month—& then see what glory will be ours, & what envy will be yours, .. you who affect all that scorn.! Moreover my sister Arabel & my brother George will be with us at the end of the week .. (better even than the imperial majesties) and Peni bathes everyday & has learnt to swim & swims, & looks like a merman, with his locks floating. And then, & then ..
Dearest Moña Nina, I have heard from Sophie Eckley from the Bagni di Lucca & she speaks affectionately of you– I have heard also from Isa—& from Fanny Haworth who has been rather enjoying the Tassinari’s villa, & is now on the point of going away to the Bagni. The weather has been bearable as to heat, they all say—and the Hawthornes mean to dare the Florentine summer, & have taken a villa [7] with that intention. He is better but not well, I fear. Miss Cobb[e] is returned or returning .. so Fanny Haworth says, who adds that there is rapture at villa Bricchieri, rather exclusively, in consequence. I mean that she herself complains of a little chill quite outside of any rapture. [8]
I am very glad of your account of Adelaide Procter’s book– [9] May she receive from it every possible satisfaction incident to good work– Is her mother pleased, do you think?—and her father?
Is Mdme Braun able to read much? I am in a state of profound infidelity as to the opinions of medical men,—& only the other day I was told of a “hopeless case” of the kind, (so called) the subject of which entirely recovered: this was in Paris. Has she consulted Dr Fell the American?– If not, do urge her to do it.
It is pleasant to hear of your sister’s prosperity so far– [10] You may rely on me for using in her favour whatever opportunity may fall to me. But now write an answer to this dull letter, & believe that I love you tenderly absent or present.
Your Ba–
I open my letter <to give> you news of poor Mrs Mackenzie—who has had gastric fever at Rome, is better, & persists in staying there. The person from whom she received her commissions is so hard to deal with, that she thinks of devoting herself to copying flowers in oil—which seems to me rather a descent. Was there not a commission you offered to her, & can it be got at yet? I know you will do what you can.
Robert’s best love, & Peni’s.
I heard the day before yesterday from Lady Augusta Bruce that Lady Elgin was better.
Address: Angleterre / Mrs Jameson / 16. Chattam Place / Brighton.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. Cf. Luke 1:78.
3. The words “keepeth the law” and variations thereof occur frequently in the Bible. See for example Proverbs 29:18 and John 7:19.
4. Cf. The Tempest, I, 2, 375–376: “Come unto these yellow sands, / and then take hands.”
5. “You others.”
7. On 1 August, to escape the heat of the city, the Hawthornes moved from their rooms in Casa del Bello to Villa Montauto at Bellosguardo, where they had taken a two-month lease (see Hawthorne, XIV, 379–380).
8. Fanny Haworth had felt slighted by the occupants of Villa Brichieri; i.e., by Isa Blagden and Annette Bracken (see the first paragraph in letter 4217).
10. EBB refers to Camilla Sherwin (née Murphy) and her and her sisters’ lodging house for women, first mentioned in letter 3727.
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