4562. RB to Isa Blagden
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 27, 116–117.
Rome,
Jan 1. 1860.
Dearest Isa,
A happy new year to you, for the first thing. Next,—another favor,—will you subscribe for me to the “Monitore” for three months—my time expired yesterday, I find, and I am anxious to continue receiving the Journal thro’ Mr Russell as before. You pay the money, whatever it is, and get yourself immediately repaid by Wilson—or I shall consider you have had enough & too much of me & my commissions.
I am also going to send you—but, I think, not by the post, two cheques for Vieusseux & Goodban—neither of whose bills reached me till I had left Florence.
We are grieved, indeed, about Wilson’s illness and anxious to hear—by today’s post, I hope, how she now is. That hysterical affection always possesses her poor foolish brain after looking steadily at pictures, and then she becomes aware of presentiments and so on. I wrote to her before your note arrived. I suppose Mr Landor plagues & frightens her: a grass-hopper’s is the stouter soul of the two. Mr Landor wrote a long sheetful to me yesterday, with rather fewer groans in it than usual. I will let Ba say a word now– Good bye, & God bless you–
Yours affy. R Browning.
Whenever any opportunity occurs of sending the picture, [1] you’ll remember me, I know.
Ba is writing already, I find.
Hatty is better, & comes to us with Miss Cushman this evening. Mr Williams [2] enquired affectionately after you last night.
Publication: B-IB, pp. 270–271.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.
1. The portrait by Hamilton Gibbs Wild of Pen on his pony, painted in Siena the previous summer (see letter 4499, note 3). As indicated in letter 4607, it was taken to Rome by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
2. Presumably Penry Williams (1802–85), a Welsh artist and friend of John Gibson. Williams lived in Rome from 1827 until his death.
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