4339. EBB to Sophia Eckley
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 26, 66–67.
[Rome]
[27 February 1859] [1]
I have waited in vain, dearest Sophie, & did not know it rained enough to be an obstacle to your coming. How vexatious to me.
Dear, I will do as you bid me. Yes, and a paper & pencil shall be near, that ‘they’ (if they are gracious) may complete their graciousness. [2]
And now this is worst– Dont come tomorrow till three—because I am to be tortured for the picture’s sake—the first picture, this time; & “Mrs Bridell” entreated last night that I would give her two sittings without witnesses– I said, no one should come but you– And then she made a melancholy face & vowed to me that your presence would make her “nervous” & remove the last chance of success– So come at three, dear– The picture is wanted in a hurry for the English exhibition [3] ——
Now was I going to tell you of the bridal Bridell party [4] (after which I am tired) but in comes a bad angel [5] and I must end– May God bless you dearest Sophie, says your ever
loving Ba–
Yes, yes, about Isobel’s Child. [6]
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Berg Collection.
1. Dated by EBB’s reference to being tired after the “bridal Bridell party” (see note 4 below).
2. “They” refers to spirits, to be contacted by means of automatic writing.
3. EBB’s portrait by Eliza Bridell (see letter 4324, note 6) was not accepted for the Royal Academy exhibition of 1859. Her only entry for that year was a portrait of her husband, titled “F. L. Bridell, Esq.” (see The Royal Academy of Arts: A Complete Dictionary of Contributors and their work, comp. Algernon Graves, 8 vols., 1905–06, 1, 278).
4. On 26 February in Rome, Eliza Fox married Frederick Lee Bridell (1830–63), a successful landscape painter who had exhibited at the Royal Academy. RB was one of the witnesses and gave away the bride. Later that day, the Brownings entertained the newlyweds with dinner and champagne (see letter 4346).
5. EBB originally wrote “in comes Miss Heaton” before altering the passage.
6. First published in The Seraphim, and Other Poems (1838), “Isobel’s Child” was heavily revised for Poems (1850) and appeared with further revisions in the 1853 and 1856 editions. EBB copied out stanzas 27–32 for Mrs. Eckley, signing and dating them: “Elizabeth Barrett Browning / Rome. March. 1859” (ms at Berg).
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