4273. EBB to Arabella Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 25, 275–279.
[Florence]
Nov. 13. [1858] [1]
Ever beloved Arabel, I was beginning to consider whether it was’nt reasonable to be uneasy at the silence,—when your dear letter arrived– Oh. I will write. I will write. I was going to write to Henrietta, but your appeal is irresistible—and you are alone, & she is in, a crowd. She shall hear from me next & soon however, dear thing that she is– Now let me tell you how it is with us, Arabel. Your prophecy is’nt all “out,” as they say of dreams,—for we lie here nearly packed up, our preparations for Rome made, but weather-bound, wind-bound, snow-bound– Such weather, that it is absolutely impossible for me to put my foot out of doors. How strange– We dropped here into the summer, & there had not been a chilly day. And then suddenly, the winter dropped upon us—dropped in snow! Fancy such a thing in Italy early in november. We dont believe it ourselves, & so stand staring, & expecting the cold air to unbind itself, & admit of our travelling. If it does’nt, we must give up Rome for this year, & be content.
But really it has been provoking. We had a delightful scheme for the journey to Rome– Let me tell you. You know the Eckleys,—& that Sophie had taken it into her enthusiastic head to fall into a sort of love with me—(Spiritual concordances & other worse reasons–) They are rich people, you are aware,—& could’nt go to Rome, it seems, without two carriages, an open bariouche [sic] & a shut carriage to suit all kinds of weathers, & two pairs of horses &c– Well, they came to implore us, as if they were most humbly beseeching a favor of us, to use this close carriage which otherwise would have to go empty—! We had a great struggle for it, (I could’nt believe at first that they wanted two carriages in Rome, &, I assure you, Sophie is quite capable of such a feint) and with infinite difficulty on both sides it was arranged at last that we should use the carriage, paying the expense of the horses (a mere trifle) & sending Ferdinando & the heavy luggage by sea– The advantage would be great to us, both as to the cheapness, & the comfort .. in that easy conveyance, with good springs & cushions– But even friendship cannot do everything—and there, is the snow on the mountains unmelted, and here is the tramontana wind unabated. And now we wait, we wait, to see if good weather is indeed to have a turn. The Eckleys say moreover that not only will they wait for us, but that they are resolved on staying in Florence if we stay–
I have had Zerlinda in the house helping Annunciata with preparations. Peni’s velvet trowsers are made, & so pretty. The velvet we bought in Paris is quite as good as what was bought in England for pure silk velvet: there’s a preponderence of silk. Peni’s pattern is sent for in all directions—by the Cottrells &c. Then I have had my old black cloth “polka” undone & washed, & it is to make a jacket as “good as new,” they say, to wear with my Paris one, trimmed with blue instead of red. And I have had a piqué white one made for the spring, & the muslin shirts made up– Zerlinda, who works & fits beautifully, is paid only a franc a day when working in the house,—which is rather cheaper than Paris, particularly as she makes a flounced dress in two days.
Now I am going to tell something more interesting. We fell here into a crowd, & have had people drinking our tea & even eating our dinners since we came home—people coming from or going to Rome—it’s a troublous time of year. Among the rest was Monro [2] the sculptor! Quite a young man but with a reputation in England as you may be aware. Miss Cushman brought & introduced him to us, as the “most spiritual artist in England,” said she. Well—on his third visit he returned on his steps when leaving the room, half-knelt down on the stool by me, & prayed me to permit him to make a sketch in clay of my Penini, whose head had very much struck him. I, instead of preserving my majesty, almost quite knelt down on the other side to thank him– I was out of breath with joy. That, you will understand. Yet I fancied he wanted to make only a medallion. Instead of which, the most exquisite bust started alive under his fingers– All Peni’s characteristics—the whole infantine ideal grace & the size of life. So charmed I was, that I lost my equanimity of prudence, & left Robert no peace till he agreed to have it out in marble. Think of that stretch of extravagance– Fifty guineas we thought we might get it for!—instead of which, Mr Monro, when the proposition was made to him, insisted warmly that, “as he had not intended to lay a trap for an order,” & “as we were ..” we .. he would’nt do it for us unless we submitted to pay him only half the price. “Five & twenty guineas would cover the expences,” [3] he said, “& give him something over—& the head was so beautiful, & the associations so” &c &c .. you are to imagine the complimentary rest. Everybody who has seen the work is delighted, & with reason, I must say– It goes to England today with the artist, &, when you are invited, which you will be when the cast is set up, you will go to see it, (wont you?) & carry with you your photograph of Peni, which Mr Monro wishes to see. He says that the work will be ready for the London exhibition– [4] The attitude of the head, the hair, the expression of the mouth .. oh, it is beautiful.
Poor Isa Blagden. She has been very foolish, very. This mad scheme of going to Madrid is carried out– When her place in the steamer was paid for, she began to repent, of course, & went away in tears, to repent more bitterly, I fear, hereafter. A connection of hers has paid her journey [5] —but there will be other expenses—. The whole scheme was a piece of madness. She is to meet her friend Miss Bracken after four months at Naples, & so return to Florence.
Arabel!—since I began to write this letter, it has begun to rain– Therefore, in all probability, & unless there’s another change, we shall set out in the middle of next week for Rome. But direct here, as usual– Poste Restante, Florence.
Tom Taylor is here—(incarnation of ‘Punch’—) but he goes on monday. And young Wilberforce, & Mr Cartwright—but the latter is on the road to Rome since this morning.
Dearest Arabel, you ask about my cough– It is’nt as in the summer, of course: in the mornings I have a tustle [sic] for it—the effect of those cold days in Paris & the cold Alpine road, (which set it off) & also of the remarkable cold we have had here. Here & throughout Italy, the cold has been extraordinary. In spite of all however, I sleep & pass the days without much cough, or any to signify—only the chest will feel tight & uncomfortable with snow & frost out of doors, however we may heap up the fires– Still, there’s no real harm done—& people say I look well. It will be an advantage to me (if we can get to Rome) to have a shorter winter there, & to be able to go out more days & sooner than could be the case here—& there will be Mrs Eckley’s carriage, which will be imperatively forced on me .. there, as here. I cant refuse a thing—she looks with such eyes, & says so earnestly that I dont love her. It is a peculiar & a most delicate affectionateness. More delicacy is impossible.
Just now I have a letter from “Emily”. [6] There’s no combating it– I should have liked her for a sister-in-law. If George would but go over to Baden for me & bring her away.! The Baron is very ill, I much fear. He seems to have grown more tender to her, calls her his comfort, & likes her music better than anything else in the world,—and she, poor little creature, is happy in this, & cheerful about the solitary winter. I like her, yes, I like her. Sophia Cottrell’s confinement (fixed for 3 August in the first place) has not happened yet. I should certainly be very uneasy. The wet-nurse has been engaged four months. She is better in health now, & more able to move about—& there seems to be no doubt … But how extraordinary!– [7]
Darling, I sympathize with poor Maria about your Emma, [8] … who, by the way, is plainly transferring her natural affections to you– Of course, a child would, under such circumstances, the maternity having been transferred. Tell me how it is when mother & child meet– Will the child’s instinct revive, I wonder? The truth is, I dare say, she is happier with you: & the truth will be that she will love you filially, if she has a heart, & that you will love her more & more– I hope you will if she remains with you. When you love her thoroughly, that painful sense of “responsibility” you have complained of will be lost in love–
Did I tell you that Wilson has let her house for two months to Monsieur Rio’s family, [9] & that they may stay the winter. Poor Wilson. What do you think she half proposed to me. (Dont let it be told to her sisters.) That she should return to me, send for her sister to take care of her house & children, & go on with us to Rome. It pained me—but how was I to say yes? How could I be so unjust to Annunciata after all her excellent behaviour in France?– With the prospect too of having to part with Wilson in a few months again– Which last objection, to do myself justice, I should not have acted on, though I hate such uncomfortable unfixedness: but it did seem to me very unwise of Wilson, (for her own sake,) to give up her children, & the management of a lodging-house in Florence, to an inexperienced Englishwoman who does not know an Italian word, just as the house was beginning to answer & pay. Oh—I think Wilson sees it now, & is satisfied to stay—though it was quite natural for her to wish to be with her husband. To see him go away even for a few months, must be a sorrow– Tell me if you think I was right in my decision. Tell me.
I have pressing occupation just now, Chapman having written to desire a new edition of ‘Aurora,’ which is to be stereotyped. So I have set about the work of small corrections. The engraving of me is to be the frontispiece of this volume, which will be printed uniformly with the other three of my poems.
The photograph of Peni is immensely admired here, & called “quite a Velasquez” by the artists. [10] Mr Powers, Mr Mignaty, &c &c. Most beautiful it is, I always thought as you know—& I increase in gratitude to you day by day. My portrait too is much appreciated. Robert has had one done here of himself, for Isa who besought him for it before she went away—which is alive, & looks as if he were lifting a thunderbolt of speech to crush somebody. [11] He sends you his tender love he says—& I [12] say that he is very good & dear.
Peni is with M. del Bene, or he would put in his word. So pleased he was with your letter to him.
What a pretty bonnet (of Parisian inspiration) Crispin must have made for you– <I> fancy you in it– Be good, darling Arabel, & dont overwork yourself—dont darling, for the love of me. I miss you even now.
Your ever & ever loving
& grateful Ba–
Love to dear Minny.
Address: Angleterre viâ France. / Miss Moulton Barrett / 7. Delamere Terrace / Harrow Road / London.
Publication: EBB-AB, II, 372–377.
Manuscript: Berg Collection.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. Sic, for Munro.
3. Alexander Munro proposed 25 guineas for Pen’s bust in marble, but RB presented him with 27 (see SD2214).
4. i.e., the Royal Academy exhibition of 1859, which displayed six works by Munro, including Pen’s bust, titled “Robert Wiedeman Barrett Browning” (Algernon Graves, The Royal Academy of Arts: A Complete Dictionary of Contributors and their work, 1905–06, 5, 327).
5. Possibly, her uncle William Bracken (see letter 4249, end of note 5).
6. Emilie von Eisendecher; see letter 4245, note 6.
7. There must have been a miscalculation or misunderstanding: the Cottrells’ next child, Violet Amy, was born on 11 January 1859.
8. Emma Barrett; see letter 4100, note 2.
9. Alexis François Rio (1797–1874), French art historian and author, and his wife, Apollonia (née Jones, 1804–90), daughter of John Jones (1749–1828), of Llanarth, Wales, and his wife, Mary (née Lee, 1770–1855).
11. A copy of this photograph is inscribed: “Robert Browning to David Eckley, with more love by far than ought to accompany so poor a gift. Nov. 26. 1858. Rome.” It is reproduced facing p. 272.
12. Underscored twice.
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