4509. Sophia Landor to RB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 27, 9–11.
Tachbrooke. Leamington.
20th Octr [1859] [1]
My dear Sir,
I beg you to accept sincere thanks for your two letters [2] & the care & trouble you have been so good as to take regarding the Will: I am very sorry that it is necessary to trouble you still further about it. It is unfortunate that my thin paper Draft was used as the Actual Will, it was intended only as a guide to be fairly copied on stronger paper, when my Uncle’s intentions were known. I am told that the alterations which have been made on that paper, will cause a difficulty in proving it in England, if that shld become necessary. It cld not be proved here without first ascertaining that those alterations were made before the Will was signed, & hereafter it may not be easy to bring forward the Witnesses to prove that. My Cousin [3] thinks the difficulty might be remedied by my Uncle & the witnesses affixing their initials against the alterations: but that wld leave the Will a still more blotted & suspicious looking document than it now is. The best way unquestionably wld be to write the whole over again, fairly, but that wld involve transcribing the holograph copy also, for the two Wills must agree in date & must be dated at the same time they are signed & attested. Independently of all the trouble & annoyance it is causing you (which I fear you will think we care sadly too little about) I am afraid it wld annoy my Uncle very much to have to do the whole thing over again: you only can judge whether it will be well to trouble him so far, we therefore leave it to your kind judgement to decide whether to attempt to have both done over again or to rest satisfied with only having the initials fixed where they are now marked in pencil. Excuse me for asking whether care has been taken that on the Holograph Copy the signature & attestations are placed on the same page as the concluding portion of the Will; in England this is a very essential point. I have recd a note from my Uncle Walter relative to the future disposal of the few things he bequeaths to me, in trust as it were, for others; & I purpose enclosing a note to assure him that I will faithfully carry out his wishes, if it is in my power. My Sister [4] & I cannot object to the use made of our names, & I do not think any other person can be aggrieved or injured by what we shall obtain under the Will: we shall in fact gain nothing & it is I believe the only safe course to pursue. The account you give of my Uncle’s health & spirits is truly delightful & I am sure you must rejoice in the good you have effected. God grant he may now pass the rest of his time on earth, in the peaceful preparation for a better world. We sincerely rejoice in Mrs Browning’s continued improvement & trust there will be no drawback; believe me we shall never cease to feel a warm interest in friends so extraordinarily kind. I hope a time may come when we shall have the pleasure of a personal acquaintance. As to the accounts pray send what & when it suits you, at Xmas or Lady day, if you like, we receive them only because you wish it & beg they may never be allowed to be a trouble to you. I am sorry to say, I am about leaving Tachbrooke, my Uncle here, who is a complete Solitaire, wishes to resume old (bad) habits, so I am returning next week to my Sister in Bath, where my address will be 3. Belmont[,] Bath. My Uncle desires to join me in sincere & grateful regards to yourself & Mrs Browning, believe me, dear Sir
Very sincerely Yrs
Sophia Landor
My Uncle has lately applied to his Trustee [5] for more money, but it cannot be granted, he will be referred to you[.]
Address: Robert Browning Esqre / Casa Guidi / Via Maggio / Florence / Tuscany.
Docket, in RB’s hand: No. 4.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Yale University.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. Letters 4496 and 4505.
3. Robert Landor (1829–1914). See SD2295.
4. Catherine (“Kitty”) Landor.
5. Either the aforementioned Robert Landor or his father, Walter Landor (1782–1864), of Rugeley, both of whom were trustees of Walter Savage Landor’s estates.
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