4454. RB to William Wetmore Story
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 26, 231–232.
Florence,
July 28. ’59.
My dear Story,
I wrote to you hurriedly the day before yesterday—since then two most kind communications have reached us [1] from your Villa. [2] I told you that Forster had written energetically begging me to take every care of Landor till he could make new arrangements with the Brothers [3] & Agent—the serious illness of the latter being all that prevented the matter from being very speedily terminated. I wrote on the same day to Mrs Landor demanding in a mildly-gruff way clothes, books, plate, pictures, residue of cash—in short all that poor Landor, by a note just received, [4] desires me to obtain thro’ the good offices of the Commissary of Police! However, diplomacy being more efficacious than frank fighting, I simply wrote, as I say,—and yesterday was favoured by a visit from Mrs Landor, all butter & honey (save an occasional wasp’s sting overlooked in the latter when she occasionally designated her husband as “the old Brute”!) [5] —The end is, she gives up all we require—the clothes, this very day, to Mr Kirkup, the rest as soon as possible. I will bring them with me—and the note I enclose may set our poor friend’s mind at rest on that point [6] —but it will also serve another purpose, I trust—induce him to take that lodging you were so fortunate as to place at his disposal. Of your own goodness & generous hospitality you will not let me speak, nor is it necessary—but it is necessary, not on your account at all so much as on his own, that Landor should now fairly try the experiment which he was bent on making, and show whether he can indeed live independently of the immediate superintendence of his family: the question is not, which of his friends will be ready and happy to entertain him as a guest, but whether he can ever be anything else—which his wife very emphatically denies. I should certainly like to see how he sets about it—and I strongly press on him in the note the necessity of taking those lodgings for a single month, and finding how he likes the way of life he was determined to adopt. In a month, we shall know exactly what his means are, and can contrive how they may be turned to the best account. He must try now, because a failure can be easily redeemed. Had I supposed he would stay with you more than a day, I should have made quite other arrangements. Your goodness, however, has tranquilized and strengthened him and may contribute greatly to the success of the experiment. I have only room to thank you, or try and thank you and dear Mrs Story & Edith for their extreme kindness to us: we mean to go to Siena the first day that my wife is able to make the effort. She is decidedly better but still very weak: we mean to be as happy as possible for these coming two months and therefore, to avoid any precipitation and mistake, we will go to Siena, attack the triangle of villas in succession, armed with those capital plans, and establish my wife to her mind—as I know will be soon done. We thank you for all your far too generous offers and would accept them, be assured, were it at all necessary to do so. Let us once arrive & the rest will be an easy matter.
My wife’s love to you both– Peni’s especial love & thanks to Edith, whose commissions he will be proud to execute.
Ever yours faithfully,
Robert Browning
Publication: BAF, pp. 46–48.
Manuscript: University of Texas.
1. Probably letters from Emelyn and Edith Story, as implied below.
2. The Villa Belvedere, in the district of Marciano, about two miles west-northwest of Siena.
3. Henry Eyres Landor and Robert Eyres Landor.
6. This note has not surfaced.
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