4573. Sophia Landor to RB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 27, 138–139.
3. Belmont. Bath.
Jany 12 1860
My dear Sir
I will not delay one day longer, thanking you for your two kind letters, the second [1] of which reached me late yesterday; the first [2] was received before Xmas, but I was not able to answer it until some time after & then I thought my letter wld cross one from you & therefore waited for the arrival of the promised account. Nothing can be more satisfactory than it is, nothing cld evince more careful, judicious, painstaking kindness. I feel almost ashamed to offer thanks for Christian benevolence such as yours towards my poor Uncle, they are cold & inappropriate: but let me say that we deeply feel & I am sure we always shall feel the debt of gratitude due to you from all my Uncle Walter’s nearest relatives. I am sure my other Uncles will look over your little account with great interest & satisfaction, as a proof of your exceeding great care & kindness, & of the comfort with which their Brother is again surrounded. How merciful our Heavenly Father has been to him! Who cld have hoped that he wld meet with such a friend, under such circumstances? The blessings that have attended him through life are most wonderful.
The only thing in your account that appears to me at all questionable are the wages paid to Madame Romagnoli; they seems [sic] so very low for so valuable a servant, considering how much she has to pay out of them; but do not think I wld interfere, if you consider them sufficient & she is satisfied, that is enough: besides it is always well to reserve the power of increasing remunerations or making a present: if she goes on well & gives you satisfaction in the performance of her arduous task, I hope you will find there is enough to enable you to do something of this kind. And pray assure her that she will have earned the sincere respect & regard of my Uncle’s family, if she fulfils your wishes with regard to him. I am afraid she will sometimes need encouragement. I cld not help smiling at the little scene you relate between her & my Uncle, it is so characteristic: if she has courage to be thus firm & at the same time respectful, she will acquire a great degree of controul over him; for he is well aware when he is doing wrong, & he is also aware of his dependence upon you. I perceive you had not received the 50£ for the current quarter, when your account was made out; you may rely upon its being regularly remitted to Drummond’s bank before each quarter day.
Now let me thank you again for all you have done about the Will, I trust all is now quite correct; I presume the attestation by two Tuscan Witnesses, of which you spoke in your letter of Decr 8th relates to an additional attestation required by Tuscan law, & that the Will had been previously signed & witnessed in the same way & at the same time as the copy sent to England; otherwise they [sic] will be two Wills, instead of one in duplicate. I believe the words added, will be of no consequence: & indeed I do not think it will be of much consequence if there are two Wills instead of one, as one only will be acted upon & the purport of both is the same. I have had two or three letters lately from my Uncle, he seems very well & I hope by this time has received his new book, which will amuse him for a little while. I am truly sorry he is so unreasonable in his various demands & wishes, but so it has ever been & I greatly fear both you & Made Romagnoli will have much to bear with in that way. How sad it is that his books & Pictures are still withheld by his family! These things seem almost incomprehensible, the value of them must be so very small, but the spirit such conduct betrays is most lamentable. I have now ceased all correspondence with the family, by desire of my Uncles, & I quite concur in their opinion.
I most sincerely rejoice in the improved health of Mrs Browning, it is an auspicious commencement of the new year, may every other blessing follow in its train. My Sister & I beg you both to accept our best regards & heartfelt gratitude, believe me to remain ever
Most sincerely Yrs
Sophia Landor
I purpose returning to Tachbrooke next week & shall probably remain there two or three months. I am thankful to say the dear Uncle [3] there has passed well through the winter thus far.
Address: Robert Browning Esqre / 28. Via del Tritone / Rome.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Yale University.
1. This letter has not surfaced. It contained a copy of Walter Savage Landor’s accounts, as recorded by RB, from 17 July 1859 to the end of the year. For RB’s copy of this period, see vol. 26, pp. 381–382.
3. Henry Eyres Landor (1780–1866).
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