4577. RB to Samuel Lucas
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 27, 142–143.
Rome, Via del Tritone 28.
Jan. 17. ’60.
Dear Mr Lucas, [1]
I feel,—& so does my wife,—very flattered & obliged by your invitation to contribute to “Once a Week”: I never saw a number of it, but often enough have read the “contents” in advertisements and recognized friendly names among the writers & illustrators in such pleasant assemblage. I am more diffident than your goodnature supposes as to my own power of being useful to a magazine,—but my wife’s verses are another matter: & yet I cannot absolutely promise them, because I have, already on the table here, two other kind applications from friendly Editors, whom I wish I could please by compliance, since their kindness assumes it to be in my power. If you will permit me, I shall remember that whenever my wife or myself have such a poem as we hope may suit your purposes, there is promised us an indulgent reception. And in any case you will believe me,
Dear Sir,
Yours very sincerely,
Robert Browning.
Your letter reached us after being delayed a little at Florence: the magazine which you seem to have sent is yet to follow.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Yale University.
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