4633. RB to Isa Blagden
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 27, 245–246.
Rome, Via del Tritone 28.
March 27. [1860] [1]
Dearest Isa,
You will hardly think it possible that I should have received your note,—or rather Ba’s parcel, no earlier than last night. Hatty received, on arriving, the bad news which drove all else out of her head: I was only able to see her for a minute last Saturday: she left early on Sunday—and we sent more than once yesterday before your kindness fairly came to hand. I had never heard of poor, good Philipson’s death—which grieves me deeply: [2] I lose a friend in him, and everybody loses an honest man. I am sure there will be no necessity of thinking twice about my own little interests as affected by his removal—he will have cared about such an eventuality, by will or other arrangement: I do not suppose the least need therefore of going to Florence—but I thank you, my own Isa for all your offers which I would freely accept were there any occasion to do so. Now I will tell you another, and sadder piece of news—if it have not already reached you, as indeed it must; we were shocked yesterday by the death of dearest old Mrs Jameson which happened on the 17th “from bronchitis ending in paralysis of the brain”: [3] we had a letter from her, full of affection, written from Brighton on the 3d [4] —with no evidence of any weakness or indisposition about it: she was vexed greatly at being prevented from coming to Italy,—had duties to others—(the old story of her life ever since I knew it)—which overbore her own inclinations,—meant to do many things—& it all ends so! Ba received the intelligence—on a bit of paper accompanying some photographs from Mrs Macpherson—was taken altogether by surprise,—such a note ought to have been addressed to me. <(I was out, unfortunately)> [5] She was greatly moved by it—but is less agitated to-day: she was so perfect in her understanding the goodness and love for her of Mrs Jameson that all the pain can be only of the less bitter sort,—and here, apart from one’s own loss, there are many circumstances that make death something of a rest and a release. In other respects, Ba’s health is improved.
Thank you for your attention to Mr Landor: he writes to me regularly—but one point I want information about. Kirkup wrote to Ba that “he had warned Mr Landor of some suspicious persons that had got about him. He seemed to doubt them.” Have you any notion who these persons can be? I have not heard a word about them, and feel uneasy a little.
Do you see the infamous pretence at a misunderstanding of Ba’s purposes in the poem (printed years ago by the Anti Slavery Society in America) “A Curse for a Nation”—in the Athenæum: the critic leaves out the introduction every stanza of which contains evidence plain as noonday that the nation referred to is America,—and calls it a “malediction agst England” [6] —just out of spite at Ba’s having disapproved of “Roccabella” [7] for all its fine dedication to her—and left a bitter, foolish letter, [8] received a few weeks ago, without answer. Look at the first part of the poem (omitted in the critique as if it never had existed) and tell me if such a blunder is possible to anybody, honestly reading it, and not an idiot. He said in his letter he “meant to abjure pen & ink and live in increasing solitariness”—“so misunderstood was he ever!”– I understand him. God bless you, dearest Isa. Love Ba & bear with
Yours affectionately ever
RB.
Ba says the envelopes you have sent are not adhesive—the one quality she ordered in them, having dozens of packages of the same hateful Breckerian ware: she will send them back by Mrs Apthorp.
Publication: B-IB, pp. 315–317.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.
1. Year provided by RB’s reference to the death of Anna Jameson, which occurred on 17 March 1860.
2. Abramo Philipson (1805–60), RB’s banker, died on 18 March.
4. This letter has not surfaced.
5. The statement in angle brackets is interpolated above the line.
6. RB quotes from Chorley’s review of Poems Before Congress in The Athenæum of 17 March 1860. For the full text of this review, see p. 358.
8. This letter has not surfaced.
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