4691. EBB to Euphrasia Fanny Haworth
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 28, 44–47.
Florence–
June 16– [1860] [1]
My dearest Fanny, I must use my opportunity of sending you these photographs, because I think you will care to have them– Peni is himself—not a likeness, but an identity. I, like the devil or the emperor Napoleon, am not as black as I seem,—but Pen looks lovely enough to satisfy my vanity–
Your Indian poet’s letter [2] was despatched to you from Rome, & “so Apollo saved me.” [3] Oh—if you knew how I hate giving opinions! I think a poet’s opinion of another poet should be paid by some triple fee– I, at least, always feel that after being ingenuous on these occasions & advising persons who can barely spell, against publishing their epic poems, one is supposed to be secretly influenced by the fear of a rival or worse—. Give me a triple fee–
Poor dearest Fanny, of course you are in the chain, being in England– You are moved to set down the emperor as “the Beast” .. 666, [4] of course. If he crushes “Garibaldi you must give him up”– Yes,—but what an If– If you stab Miss Heaton with a golden bodkin, right through the heart, under circumstances of peculiar cruelty, I shall have to give up you– If I bake Penini in a pie and eat him, you’ll have to give up me–
The emperor Napoleon is faithful & will be faithful to the Italian cause, and to the cause of the nationalities, as long as & wherever it is prudent for the general interest, .. possible without dangerous complications– He has risked enough for it, to be trusted a little I think—his life, & dynasty certainly– At this moment I hear from Rome of a great dinner given by Lamoricière to his staff, or by his staff to him,—(I dont know which) only that the health of Henri cinq was suggested & drunk at it– Goyon telegraphed the news to Paris– What then?– English newspapers (even such papers as the Daily News) [5] have stated that Lamoricière was doing Napoleonic business at Rome. Perhaps this is of it–
Chapman junior is in Florence (doing business upon Lever I believe,) [6] & he maintains that I have done myself no mortal harm by the Congress poems, which incline to a second edition after all. Had it been otherwise I yet never should have repented speaking the word out of me which burnt in me– Printing that book did me real good. For the rest, Aurora Leigh is in the press for a fifth edition. Read the “Word for Truth by a seaman,” written by a naval officer of high reputation–
We left Rome on the fourth of June and travelled by vettura through Orvieto & Chiusi– Beautiful scenery, interesting pictures & tombs, [7] .. but a fatiguing journey– At least Pen’s poney & I were both of us unusually fatigued, & scarcely, at the end of a week, am I myself yet. I am not as strong since my illness last summer. We stay here till the early part of July & then remove to Siena, to the villa we had last year,—& there Pen keeps tryst with his Abbè & the Latin– He has made great progress this winter in Latin & much besides, & he is’nt going to be a “wretched little papist” as some of our friends precipitately conclude from the fact of his having a priest for a tutor. Indeed Pen has to be restrained into politeness & tolerance towards ecclesiastical dignities– Think of his addressing his instructor (who complained of the weather at Rome one morning) thus—in choice Tuscan—“Of course it’s the excommunication. The prophet says that a curse begins with the Curser’s own house,—& so it is with the Holy father’s curse”! Was’nt that clever of Pen?—and impertinent? but our Abbè only tried at gravity,—he sympathizes secretly with the ‘insorgimento d’Italia’ [8] —& besides is very fond of Pen, Poor Pen .. “innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck” [9] how his mama had been wickedly cursing her native country (after Chorley)! [10]
It’s hard upon me, Fanny, that you wont tell me of the spirits—you who can see. Here is even Robert whose heart softens to the point of letting me have the Spiritual Magazine from England. Do knock at Mrs Milner Gibson’s doors till you get to see the ‘hands’ & the ‘heads’ & the ‘bodies’ and the ‘celestial garlands’ which she has the priveledge of being familiar with. Touch the hands– Has Mr Monckton Milnes seen anything so as to believe? Is it true that Lord Lyndhurst was lifted up in a chair? Does he believe? I hear through Mr Trollope & Chapman that Edwin Landseer has received the faith & did everything possible to persuade Dickens to investigate——which Dickens refused– Afraid of the truth, of course, having deeply committed himself to negatives– This is a moral lâchetè [11] hard for my feminine mind to conceive of. Dickens too, who is so fond of ghost-stories, as long as they are impossible.!
Have you written very lately—I mean stories? Have you any in Chambers? Isa Blagden brought me a number with a review of my B.C. poems, & I was struck with the general goodness of the Tales. “Poetry & Pie crust”—how good!– And “Dalby” is by no means a bad ghost-story. [12]
Tell me what you think of ‘Lucille’ which I have not read yet– Only tell me first & chiefly of yourself– If you go to Germany you may incline to settle there—who knows? Who knows? who knows? chi lo sa?—it’s the very phrase for you– England seems good for everything with you but for living in it.
We are to have French money,—& lose our pauls next month for ever—which Robert declares will destroy our small remaining advantages of cheapness– For paul read franc & double the expences– And if the braccio [13] is to continue to represent the metre, and the Italian pound the French livre, [14] it will be dear indeed– Pay the same, & receive half. It’s alarming,—is’nt it?——
I can scarcely imagine the summer’s passing without a struggle on the continent of Italy– It cant be, I think– At least we are prepared for it here–
We find Wilson well– Mr Landor also– He has thrown a dish of biscuits out of the window only once, .. & a few things of the kind—but he lives in a chronic state of ingratitude to the whole world except Robert, who waits for his turn. I am glad to think that poor Mr Landor is well,— unsympathetical to me as he is in his morale. He has the most beautiful sea-foam of a beard you ever saw, .. all in a curl & white bubblement of beauty– He informed us the other morning that he had “quite given up thinking of a future state—he had had thoughts of it once, but that was very early in life”– Mr Kirkup (who is deafer than a post now) tries in vain to convert him to the spiritual doctrine– Landor laughs so loud in reply, that Kirkup hears him.
Pray keep Mr Spicer off till we have settled the independence & unity of Italy– It is’nt the hour for peace—& we dont want a second Villafranca– By the way, I dare say nobody in England lays his face in the dust & acknowledges in consequence of the official declaration of the Prussian minister (to the effect that Prussia was to attack on the crossing of the Mincio & that nothing but the unexpected conclusion of hostilities hindered the general war) acknowledges that Napoleon stands fully justified in making that peace. I cannot expect so much justice in an Englishman– He would rather bury his past mistake in a present mistake, than simply confess it–
Now, no more– May God bless you– Do be happy—& do write to me– We talk of Paris & England for next year–
Your very affectionate
Ba
Robert’s love & Pen’s.
Here’s something <…>le. A trait!– You know the Tassinaris denied in their English printed statement that they received any pension through the hands of the revolutionary government– [15] This is what they did– They allowed it to accumulate in that government’s hands– And on the very day after the proclamation of VE as king here, they called for the whole sum with accumulations–
Address: Miss Haworth– / 102. Ebury Street.
Publication: LEBB, II, 393–396 (in part).
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. See the end of letter 4671.
3. Cf. Horace, Satires, I, 9, 78, trans. H. Rushton Fairclough. In this and subsequent quotations from, or references to, Greek and Latin classical authors, citations are from the Loeb Classical Library unless otherwise noted.
4. Cf. Revelation 13:18.
6. See the third to last paragraph in letter 4681.
7. See letter 4678, notes 1, 2, and 4.
8. “Uprising of Italy.”
9. Cf. Macbeth, III, 2, 45.
10. EBB refers to H.F. Chorley’s misapprehension of the target nation in “A Curse for a Nation” (see letter 4629).
11. “Cowardice.”
12. “Poetry and Pie-crust” appeared in Chambers’s Journal of 7 April 1860, pp. 209–213; “Dalby,” in the issue of 21 April 1860, pp. 241–247. We have been unable to trace the authors of these stories.
13. Literally “arm,” a term used for a measurement of about two feet.
14. “Pound.”
15. We have been unable to trace this “printed statement.”
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