4277. EBB to Isa Blagden
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 25, 284–285.
Florence.
October 16– [sic, for 17 November 1858] [1]
My dearest dear Isa, it was a great comfort to have your letter, & to know that you had not been shipwrecked, at least as far as Marseilles. I do hope & trust your merciful disposition will induce you to write from Spain with equal quickness—for oh, I did hate to see you go away so, Isa—it was pain & grief to me. And yet, dear dear Isa, now that it’s done, & you’re gone fairly, I turn on myself by a revulsion, & struggle to take up the other side of the question, & count on various advantages & pleasures which must surely fall to you … otherwise you would not have been let go, with so little apparent motive. You see there must be some grand fate under the cards, to which the spirits were determined to direct you—and you are sure to come back cousin by marriage to the Empress of the French, at least. What if you should’nt come back at all. Ah—that’s a contingency I wont trust myself to think of.
Only, dear dear Isa, dont let your generosity run away with you for the ninety ninth time,—dont bring back with you Miss Wilkes– [2] Dont, dont. She would never get work in Florence, & you have not the means to support her here. So think before you speak, & dont let a kiss or a word like a kiss draw you—dont.
While I write this letter your second one comes. Your first letter did come with the right address, but I am glad you thought it did’nt, as, that way, we heard from you twice. Now let the third time come quickly.
We had a visit yesterday from Mr Kinney who spoke of you ardently!—only you & he dont sympathize about the Baths of Lucca. He has taken a house in Santo Spirito—some wonderful house, with perfect furniture, & perfect cook & nothing to pay .. or next to nothing. [3] Mrs Kinney has been regenerated, he says, by the scenery of Lucca. Then he has half a mind to go to Rome in the spring for a time, in order to “interpret it” to his daughters. [4]
Tom Taylor has been here, the incarnation of Punch—& is gone again to England. Mr Fuller has visited us– [5] Gentlemanly,—but he does not impress me much– What is called handsome, he is certainly, & amiable I should think he was–
I am writing in a general ruin, as we go tomorrow to Rome at eight in the morning, by Perugia. Think of us at Rome therefore– (Ferdinando has drowned the ink.) [6]
And forgive this fragment of a letter– I have had an avalanche of people coming in on me, all the Kinneys for instance, .. Mrs K looking very ill used because we all go away—and then the spirits insisted on Mr Jarves coming to see me, he says, just when he was indolent & tired .. “Go,” said they, “go”—& he came, poor man, to hear for the first time that we were going tomorrow. And now I must leave you Isa, I must. May God bless you dear– Justify yourself for going by being happy, desires
Your tenderly affectionate
Ba
Write, Write.
Publication: B-IB, pp. 174–176.
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. Dated by EBB’s reference to the Brownings’ departure for Rome, which occurred on 18 November 1858, and to Tom Taylor’s presence in Florence, which EBB mentions in letter 4273.
2. Martha Wilks (1801–84), daughter of Robert and Martha Wilks, was evidently in Madrid with Isa Blagden at this time, staying with their mutual friend Henrietta de Bertodano y López.
3. The Kinneys’ new residence was Casa François. In her journal entry for 12 November 1858, Mrs. Kinney writes: “It is a fine, commodious habitation, well situated on the old Piazza San Spirito fronting the ancient Church of that name; is handsomely furnished, the walls hanging with good copies of famous paintings, &, on the whole, the most desirable residence we have had in Italy” (ms at Columbia). They resided there until 26 April 1859, when they relocated to Bellosguardo.
4. Elizabeth Clementine Kinney (afterwards Kip, 1842–1920) and Mary Burnet Kinney (afterwards Easton, 1843–1924).
5. Charles Francis Fuller (1830–75), English sculptor, who studied under Hiram Powers.
6. The density of the ink in this letter alternates between light and heavy.
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