4582. EBB to Isa Blagden
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 27, 148–150.
28. Via Tritone
Wednesday Thursday [25–26 January 1860] [1]
Dearest dear Isa, I must write, or woe to me. You will conclude soon that either I have evaporated—(this if you are in a gentle mood)—or that I have heard scandal against somebody of your name, & so have given you up in my way.
But before talking of that let me explain my Isa that my silence has not come out of vice but illness– I have been very unwell again– Supposed to proceed from a cold caught in going to Castellani’s one afternoon after five, to see the famous swords, the gifts for Victor Emanuel & the emperor– [2] I refrained when there was tramontana, then the swords were packed up—& then suddenly unpacked for a few hours for somebody’s benefit, & Miss Heaton came for me in the kindest way & in the closest carriage. Weather warm, but very wet, .. raining in torrents—& the evening air, I suppose, completed the danger. Certainly I caught cold somehow, & have had my cough back & oppressions—oh! Not as bad as before, let me confess though—but bad enough to have kept me sitting up in bed night after night, with fever, & dying away of the pulse. I sent for no advice—but put on a blister as large as Piedmont with annexations—& this relieved me much. Now I am up again (after a week’s confinement to the bed) and though feeble & pale, am reviving every hour, & by the time you get this letter, shall be perfectly myself– Cough retired, and appetite renewing its youth like an eagle. [3] Now, not for any sword under sun (unless run into me) will I move. These gifts, by the way, were beautiful to see—wonderful as works of art. The respective tricolors in precious stones. And inscriptions on the blade, very touching—‘very piercing,’ you will add.
You see it is written, Isa,– The emperor Napoleon is to be fatal to me somehow–
Robert had a cold before I had, for three days—but he is well now: & his colds dont slay, I thank God.
And now Isa, Isa, Isa, .. could you think so of me .. that upon a breath in the air, a scandal capable of explanation, I would give up a friend?– No, no, no– Guns explode in my hand before I distrust them. Let me have the benefit at least of my stupidity.
It is a principle with me also, not to allow myself to act as if I doubted, until
<…> [4]
& cries of ‘Viva V.E. il nostro re’ [5] in the presence of the French troops. [6] Also, ‘Viva Napoleone III il nostro liberatore–’ The former cry was tolerably audacious,—& furious efforts were made by the papal police to secure arrests, rendered vain by the French having slipped in their particular officials between the enemy & the people– Only one man cried ‘Viva il papa’—when a Frenchman siezed him & threw him into a shop, exclaiming, ‘Vous voulez donc vous faire tuer–’ [7] So there was no martyrdom.
What are these rumours about Savoy? I shall be vexed if Savoy goes to France [8] —and this for the sake of France you understand.
Dearest Isa, your second letter spoke of your being better again—but do, do take care of yourself– It is such a joy to look forward to, that you should be coming, coming, coming–
As for me, I must get strong before you come, & there’s ground to walk for that– If I had staid in Florence, Isa, I should probably have ended there in the body– I am grown very susceptible, & am not much worth the trouble of keeping alive. That’s plain enough–
Still, I seem to be over the attack & am tolerably gay again– Its a pity to have one’s head full of poems, when it makes one’s heart beat so to write them– I sent another little lyric [9] to Chapman yesterday in spite of this—which may be in time for my brochure. Nothing but a brochure, observe– And perhaps Chapman will patriotically refuse to print .. who knows? In spite of the commercial treaty? [10] We have not heard from him yet.
Have I written since Pen was thrown off his poney the third time—Robert riding with him? But the creature is quite exorcised, & the kicking devil plagues him no more– Still John has ridden with Peni ever since, [11] hiring a horse—so you may calculate the expence. But little Pen grows dearer & dearer, & deserves paying for somewhat highly. He is very good with his abbé (who is good too) & gets on flowingly with the Latin, preparing his lessons like a man. Two days ago, the abbè discoursing on governments, observed to Peni that he was the subject of Queen Victoria. “No, davvero–” [12] said Peni. “Then whose subject are you, pray.” “Certo, di Vittorio Emanuele”. [13] Back fell the abbé in his chair & covering his face with both hands, .. “Mon Dieu, mon Dieu”, said he. Everybody wants to be a subject of Vittorio Emanuele in these awful times—down to the children with ‘English eyes’, [14] perhaps he thought–
No Isa—you will see. Mrs Alexander will bear her grief better than you suppose– [15] Agnes was probably, nay, certainly, of that unvital order of beings who, half in & half out of the world, drop at the first breath. I have known healthy strong-looking persons who have died suddenly after a little cold, a little agitation,—you could’nt say why, except that they did not live any more– There does not seem to have been room or occasion for the mortal grief I fancied it was at first. Still, the sadness, the desolation in that house, must be great– May God comfort them–
I want to write one word to Kate– Oh—I’m so glad you call her Kate. This time I have’nt fallen among thieves [16] surely– She is a true, brave heart–
Dearest dear Isa, write to me– I love you dearly. Robert’s love as ever– Your’s in the very truest of hearts——
Ba–
Love to all my Florentines.
Thank Mr Jerves, [17] & you, for Lowell’s poem. [18] There was not much in it I think, except the bad politics. I am so tired I can only scratch a word for Kate. <***>
Publication: B-IB, pp. 278–281.
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. This letter falls between letter 4567, written while EBB is apparently in good health, and letter 4595, in which she writes of her convalescence. EBB’s references to her illness and consequent silence indicate that an appreciable length of time has passed since her last letter.
3. Cf. Psalm 103:5.
4. Part of the manuscript is missing, possibly a sheet consisting of four pages. Presumably, the missing text concerned EBB’s estrangement from Sophia Eckley.
5. “Viva V[ictor]. E[mmanuel]. our King.”
6. In a dispatch dated 28 January 1860, Odo Russell reported: “On Sunday evening 22nd instant, as the French military band was marching down the Corso, they were followed by about three thousand persons who cheered as they passed under General de Goyon’s windows, ‘Viva La Francia! Viva l’Italia, Viva l’Imperatore e Viva Vittorio Emmanuele!’ They repeated these cries as they walked along, after which they retired peacefully to their homes, where they were soon followed by the Roman police and many of them arrested and thrown into prison, there to remain in all probability for many months, without trial or hearing” (The Roman Question, ed. Noel Blakiston, 1962, p. 83).
7. “You want to get yourself killed.”
9. “The Dance.” In letter 4588, RB acknowledges receipt of proofs for Poems Before Congress but adds: “Note: we have no proof of the ‘Dance’ yet—of course.”
10. A Treaty of Commerce negotiated by Richard Cobden, primarily to allow for free trade between England and France, had been signed on 23 January 1860.
11. An “English groom,” first mentioned in letter 4571.
12. “No, indeed.”
13. “Victor Emmanuel’s, of course.”
14. At the end of EBB’s Casa Guidi Windows, the speaker describes her “own young Florentine” with “brave blue English eyes” (II, 743 and 747).
16. Cf. Luke 10:30.
17. Sic, for Jarves.
18. Perhaps a reference to “Italy, 1859,” which was published in the December 1859 issue of The Atlantic Monthly, pp. 738–740. Although not signed by Lowell, the poem, later published as “Villa Franca, 1859,” is attributed to him in A Bibliography of James Russell Lowell, comp. George Willis Cooke (Boston, 1906, p. 67).
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