4753. EBB to Arabella Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 28, 176–180.
Villa Alberti. Siena.
October 2– [1860] [1]
Darlingest Arabel, I have your letter to my great relief– Oh—my darling, if you knew what it was to have the least soothing word from you. I feel it all through me—like the finger of God in a blessing––which it is– It did seem to me a long time this time—and yet (let us confess our mercies) it was not as hard to bear as it has at times been. Yes, I am trying to hold fast some courageous & patient hope as if I believed a little,—and also—and to speak by human lights, it seems reasonable to suppose the vital principle strong enough to outgrow & be delivered from this malady– <Depression attends nearly all affections of the womb—it’s quite a physical symptom–> [2] The fact of no caustic being used relieves me greatly, as it appears decisive on the tumour’s not being of a malignant kind– Of course the evil to be feared is exhaustion—but she will bear a great deal,—& people of a far less healthy temperament bear a great deal,—& on every side I hear of recoveries from similar affections– The pain is the worst—& I gather from what you say, that it is very severe at intervals– My poor, poor precious Henrietta– If I could bear it for her! In spite of myself I turn to the mesmerism—but I must not, & will not teaze .. especially as teazing does not mean persuading– If it did, I should find it in my disagreeableness to teaze– Mrs Freeman of Rome (a sculptress) was telling me the other day of the cure of her sister [3] from paralysis—by mesmerism under El[l]iotson [4] —& of the immense relief in the case of tumours—but I answered .. “I have said what I could,—& I must not teaze.” Give me credit for it, Arabel– I find it hard–
As for me, dearest, dont have a thought about me– Nothing is laid on me that is not good for me, be sure—— I have an outrageous nature which requires much whipping—& if it is’nt quite so encouraging to the body as the soul, why the body is’nt the chief thing to be considered you know– But I am not ill, be certain—& to know that you are not, sets me up on a higher chair already. My anxieties have been variegated a little by Penini, who after eating half a vineyard perhaps, exposed himself to the sun & caught a fever, which might have been worse of course– For one day, necessity kept him in bed, & for a second, prudence did– On the third, being perfectly well, he had leave to walk about in the rooms .. which he interpreted into walking for hours up & down—& then having recourse to the delightful delassement [5] of beating a brick into a powder to put into a bottle– Of course it was charming—but the consequence was that the child fainted (for the second time in his life, Arabel) & frightened me out of my small remaining wits. We sent for Mr Walker (Mr Landor’s guest) who had most devotedly attended him,—but Pen was well before he came, & only to be moralized over. It was simply the effect of over-exertion, when weak still from the past malady. He is now (within these three days, that is) quite himself, and able to ride, walk, do lessons, & make a show of rosy cheeks—& Mr Walker considers him a very healthy boy, with plenty of spring in him– The second day of his being in bed (merely through prudence) Mr Walker most kindly (“dear Mr Walker,” Pen calls him) spent nearly four hours with him, giving him a lecture on astronomy .. with diagrams hung on the wall– And then, the ‘Arabian nights’ were at hand, & he has nearly finished them– Only Pen persists in saying—admitting the amusement, .. “Still mama, I do not like the skeleton of the book– I dont like its being all about mahometans with turbans on– I dont like mahometans, & I dont like turbans.” That’s decided. He never will take to the Arabian Nights as I used to do–
Some one lent him the other day, “Amy Herbert” by Miss Sewell, [6] & he liked it very much—“if there were not quite so much about baptism & sleeves.” “Sleeves, Peni! What do you mean?” “I mean la moda [7] —dresses, Mama.” When I had read it through myself I explained to him that the author considered spiritual & symbolic baptism to be the same thing, .. which I did not—but, if we applied all she said, to purifying by the Spirit, it would be well said—. I think it better to accustom him to take the good out of books, even when all is not good (after my pattern at least)—than to give him books only of one colour, even where that colour seems to myself preferable– These books of Miss Sewells are of the highest High-church of course, & moreover are rigid to a point above what pleases me entirely—but the piety & Christian devotedness of them are beyond criticism or praise—to judge by these volumes– Does Henrietta know these novels .. religious tales, of Miss Sewells? There are many of them, you may be aware—and I fancy, they might please our precious invalid very much—at broken half hours, when she is inclined to reading or being read to. They would be quite sympathetic to her in their opinions–
Shall I dare to say it? I am very full of regret that our dearest George should decide on a course of life which is, in fact, no course, but a wall built up before his face, shutting out light, air, & the possibility of progress. In my opinion anything would have been better. I made myself very disagreeable to my own Arabel once in imploring that she would not chain herself up to a dog-kennel instead of giving herself first a run in the woods & a chance of selection—but for George to settle so, seems to me a still worse mistake– You had distinct preferences & duties .. & there was a good deal to be said on your side– But George … if he likes .. if he gets to like that sort of hermitaging, will be the worse for liking it—oh, I say it in grief .. but he will lose the opportunities and out-look of this living world,—& the advantages of growth & progress. Monks are scarcely men– He throws away much, it seems to me– It would not be difficult, with his legal antecedents to get a lucrative situation of not too much fatigue—&, in the meanwhile, to travel, to keep in the light & in sight, would be simply prudent surely. He has been used to work—& movement,—& without either, he will suffer both in the body & the soul, I am convinced– It is a disastrous intention—bad if he repents it, & worse if he does not consciously suffer from it—wrong, I think, altogether– Rather than write this to him, I write it to you,—because I admire & love him so that I dont want to vex him & force him to face my opposition in a letter, while I do wish him to know what my full feeling is– Of course he will follow his own wish at last—but I must speak though I die for it– Why not come to Italy & see what the world outside England is like?– Presently I mean, when our Henrietta is better– Such a scheme I had for this winter!—but of course, I cant even wish any of you out of England while she is as she is– I have not breath for any earthly expectation of good till this evil passes—not as far as I am concerned:—so dont set me down as selfish– But for him to plant himself like a potato, seems to me cruel for him–
There’s an end of talk .. ——impertinent–
But my Arabel, you seem to know very little– Dont you know that our Garibaldi, our hero, everybody’s hero, has been going mad lately, & justifying my worst fears? Mazzinians blinding his eyes, holding his ears, & persuading his honest nature into acts almost criminal. There he is at Naples, Mazzini on one side, Ledru Rollin [8] on the other, arranging things into anarchy on all hands– Italy has been in terror & passion from one end to another,—and the King’s government, forced to declare that it would defend Rome & our ally against Garibaldi himself– Dont you know how, mad with success, he threatened an attack on Rome? (“trampling on the bones of the fifty thousand French who died for us” say the patriotic newspapers here),—& how Kossuth wrote to entreat him to stand off & respect Napoleon “the defender of Italy & only friend of the oppressed nationalities”– [9] Yes, Kossuth wrote that. Garibaldi will yield, we believe, as the alternative is civil war; but in the meanwhile the fear has been great, & the state of confusion in Sicily & Naples is very lamentable through his refusal to annex– That’s Mazzini’s game. [10] France is bound in honor to uphold the Pope at Rome—but the pope (as ill advised as Garibaldi) wont yield, &, it is said, wont stay—& if he goes, the French go, and lo! Rome is the capital of Italy– On some accounts it might be safer if the pope stayed– The national party wish him to stay, & dream of his opening his arms at last & blessing his children– But if he wont, we shall make the best out of it– The withdrawal of the French ambassador from Turin was a mere feint [11] —understood by everybody. What is dangerous both for France & Italy is the union between Austria & Russia [12] —& whom besides? I am not at ease about it, & the end may be war—in which case, may God save the right [13] .. there is hope still.
We return to Florence next monday DV! [14] I like this villa, & would have Robert arrange that we should have the refusal of it every summer– Not that we shall want it next year– I have a letter from Mdme Braun who has been trying certain baths in Switzerland & is better & is considered hopefully by her physician. Her courage & elasticity of spirit are wonderful–
Tell me if Henrietta has read Miss Sewell. If she has not, I will get some of the volumes sent to her from London. Mind you tell me– And write, my dearest darling Arabel. You have thought of me, do you say, through all? And have I not thought of you, do you think? I love you, love you, love you— Tender love to George & all– I shall speak to Henrietta of the beautiful photograph– [15] Speak of yourself–
Your own Ba.
Write to Florence–
Address: Angleterre viâ France– / Miss Moulton Barrett / Stoke Court / Taunton.
Publication: EBB-AB, II, 492–497.
Manuscript: Gordon E. Moulton-Barrett.
1. Year provided by postmark.
2. Sentence in angle brackets is reconstructed, having been obliterated after receipt, probably by Arabella.
3. Maria Elizabeth Fradelle (née Latilla, 1810–68), eldest daughter of Gaetano Mario Latilla (1777–1849) and his wife, Julia Louisa (née Richet, 1788–1834).
4. John Elliotson (1781–1868); see letter 3338, note 11.
5. “Relaxation,” or “pastime.”
6. Elizabeth Missing Sewell (1815–1906); see letter 2718, note 17.
7. “Fashion,” or “style.”
8. The Times of 27 September 1860 (p. 7) reported that Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin (see letter 2729, note 4) was in Naples as of 26 September.
9. We have been unable to trace a letter from Lajos Kossuth (1802–94) to Garibaldi containing the quotation given by EBB. However, in a letter written in French, dated 14 September 1860, Turin, Kossuth told the Italian general that in the event of war between Hungary and Austria no “direct intervention against Italy will follow within Italy, as long as no conflict is provoked with France, at least before things are finished with Austria. The absolute need for this restraint is immediately apparent. … The time will come when the French will leave Rome or will be driven from it; and if you think you have other accounts to settle with the French government, the time will also come for that. But first it is necessary to finish things with Austria. Let us not multiply our enemies. Is that not also your opinion, General?” (Politica Segreta di Napoleone III e di Cavour, ed. Luigi Chiala, Turin and Rome, 1895, pp. 136–137). For this and other translations from French to English, the editors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Joan Caldwell, Geuda Springs, Kansas.
10. According to Denis Mack Smith, after Mazzini’s arrival in Naples on 17 September, he had little to do with Garibaldi: “Whereas newspapers in northern Italy went on saying that Mazzini was ‘ruling’ in Naples and Sicily, in reality he was out of touch with the dictator, and spent his time in retirement, writing or visiting Pompeii and Paestum. … He candidly reproached the more extreme republicans … with refusing to collaborate with Victor Emanuel, and personally he was now reconciled to the position of camp follower in the triumph of the monarchy” (Cavour and Garibaldi, 1860, Cambridge, 1985, p. 248).
12. During the month of September, there had been numerous reports in the press of a reconciliation between Austria and Russia (see, for example, The Times, 22 September 1860, p. 10) and of a proposed conference at Warsaw that would include the Russian and Austrian emperors, the Prince Regent of Prussia, and the heads of the German states. A reconciliation was necessary because Austria had sided with the allies against Russia in the Crimean War (see letter 3499, note 10), despite being a signatory of The Holy Alliance, along with Russia and Prussia (see letter 2896, note 12). EBB’s anxiety over a “union between Austria & Russia” may have been heightened by an item in The Daily News of 26 September, entitled “The New Holy Alliance,” that listed the issues to be discussed at Warsaw, as suggested by a Paris newspaper. Three of the eight points listed would certainly have disturbed EBB: “3. Disapprobation of all that has taken place in Italy; 4. Engagement to promote the reestablishment in their possessions of the deposed Italian princes … 8. Promise to come hereafter to a concert respecting all the events which may arise, and at the head of which is a war on the Rhine [i.e., against France]” (p. 4).
13. Cf. Richard II, I, 3, 101.
14. “Deo Volente” (“God willing”).
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