4666. RB to Charles Stephen Francis
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 27, 320–321.
Rome,
(Direct, Florence)
May 11. 1860.
Dear Sir,
I received your note of March 6,—and only see, by a newspaper-review, that the proofs must have arrived duly & the publication taken place. An intermediate letter from Mr Theodore Tilton contained, with many gratifying expressions of sympathy, a very liberal proposal to print in the “Independent” any contribution my wife might send,—engaging to “copy-right every one and deliver the copyrights to Mr Francis, to be used afterwards in securing to herself the exclusive benefit of publication by him, in book-form”—as had been just done in the case of the Court-Lady. [1]
My wife, therefore, in acceptance of his offer, transmits herewith two poems which she wishes you to include in the next edition of “Napoleon III in Italy” [2] —they have not been, nor probably will be immediately, printed in England in any form. The “First News from Villafranca” should be printed directly before the “Tale of Villafranca”—and the “King Victor Emmanuel entering Florence” [3] directly after “Italy and the World.”
You will be pleased to hear that her health & strength are much improved: we return to Florence at the beginning of next month—& her best respects & thanks go to you with those of
Yours faithfully ever
Robert Browning.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Yale University.
1. “A Court Lady” was published in The Independent of 29 March 1860 (p. 1), about a week before the release of Napoleon III in Italy, and Other Poems. According to Sarianna Browning, Francis had allowed Tilton to print “The Court Lady,” of which he “circulated a quarter of a million copies” (see SD2378).
2. Never issued.
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