4739. Sophia Landor to RB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 28, 148–150.
Church Eaton Rectory, Stafford
Septr 13th 1860
My dear Sir,
I am requested by my Cousins, Walter & Robert Landor, of Rugeley, to mention to you that it is needful to obtain my Uncle Walter’s signature to a legal document & to solicit your kind aid in obtaining it. I assure you it is not without unfeigned regret that we thus continually trouble you with our affairs; feeling as we do that your extraordinary kindness to my Uncle has entailed upon you, so much that you never cld have anticipated: but I have learnt to rely so much upon your goodness that I have ventured to feel assured you will permit the document to be sent to you & will lay it before my Uncle & obtain the necessary signatures. My Cousins will send the Deed to you, probably in the course of a few days & will give all requisite explanations about it, it relates only to the settlement of some property belonging to my late Aunt [1] & in no way affects my Uncle Walter or his affairs; it is merely as heir at law that his signature is required to a Deed of Release, which will have passed through the hands of his Brothers as well as of his Cousins before it is sent to him. There appears to be no need to trouble my Uncle with any mention of the subject until the Deed arrives; but my Cousins, whom I have lately seen, requested me to write to you in this behalf, as they are unacquainted with you, & we cannot but feel that we trespass most heavily on your kindness. I learn from Mr Forster that you are still at Siena, but I fancy you usually return to Florence about this time, if you shd have moved before this document reaches you, will you have the goodness to leave instructions for having it forwarded: I believe it will be sent by Post.
I had a letter from Mr Forster two days ago; I cannot tell you how vexed I am at my Uncle’s perverseness & ingratitude towards him, for Mr Forster really loved him & it gives him real pain to be obliged to see these faults in one he has valued so much. He still writes most kindly & I am sure will make every possible allowance: but reason as we may, we cannot but feel these things, & I shld tremble lest your friendship shld be undermined, if I did not see that it springs from motives too high to be shaken by mere feeling on your own part or caprice on his. We feel most thankful to the gracious Providence who has raised up such a friend & guardian to one so much needing & so little deserving it. He has in truth been the spoiled child of Fortune, no man ever entered life with brighter prospects, or ever met with so few misfortunes, except of his own creating, so many friends, or so many opportunities of retrieving the past: his one real misfortune has been his numerous flatterers: how little do people think of the evil they do by this false kindness. Now you can understand why I formerly intreated your lenience towards Mrs Landor & the family, however wrong their conduct may be, there is so much to excite ones pity for them; much more than you yet know. But how fearfully astray they are going! it is truly dreadful, I feel that I can no longer hope to be of any use to any of them & that my right course now is to abstain from intercourse, it is a year since I have held any communication with them; it grieves me sorely, but I believe it shld only tend to harm if I wrote. But how can I forget them & my poor Uncle, when I think of that Eternity to which we are all hastening? I rejoice to hear that Mrs Browning’s health is improving, I sincerely hope she may not require the climate of Rome next winter, for there seems little prospect of that place being a pleasing abode at present. I have been enjoying a week with my married Sister [2] & my Cousins in Staffordshire, but I return tomorrow to my dear Uncle at Tachbrooke. [3] I beg to offer my best regards & wishes to Mrs Browning & remain always
Most gratefully & sincerely yrs
Sophia Landor
Address: Robert Browning Esqre / Siena / Tuscany.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Yale University.
1. Elizabeth Savage Landor (1776–1854), eldest daughter of Walter Landor (1733–1805) and his second wife, Elizabeth (née Savage, 1743–1829). She was the last surviving sister of the poet.
2. Ellen Savage Duke (née Landor, 1818–91).
3. Henry Eyres Landor (1780–1866).
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