458. EBB to Lady Margaret Cocks
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 3, 40–42.
[Hope End]
July 28th 1832.
My dear Lady Margaret,
As soon as Papa had received any intimation from London of the sale of this place, he left us immediately as I thought he would, to take another house. He left us the very day after the one on which I saw you. He went into Devonshire, & has taken a house at Sidmouth where we shall most probably remain at least during the winter. The plan of going abroad was inconvenient to him,—and for my own part I am quite satisfied with the present plan. You asked me to write to you now & then. I shall hear from you—shall I not?– If you do not dislike writing, direct to me at the Post Office Sidmouth. I do not know the exact situation of our new house, & do not like to teaze Papa with unnecessary questions.
The volume of Potter is returned to you with my thanks. [1] I found my translation to be the most literal– With it, is a book which I imagine to have been lent by Miss Commeline,—as I recollect having seen upon it, a cover belonging to some Gloucester library. It was not lent to me, & has been here for several years,—& if Miss Commeline knows nothing of it, I cannot hope to find the owner. I ought not to be troublesome to you—but will you give her the book, & tell her this? And will you say besides that when I last shook hands with her at Eastnor, I did not know how soon I was going away? Our kind regards & wishes belong to herself & all her family.
I am writing on the twenty eighth of July,—but I shall not send what I have written until the beginning of next week. [2] If I were to put off writing until then, I might not be able to do so quite as tranquilly as I can now. It is natural that leaving for ever our dear & happy home should be very painful to us,—& I sometimes sit looking out of the window & wondering if it is not all a dream. And indeed dear Lady Margaret, it is a dream,—altho’ the waking will not be on earth. We have much comfort in seeing our dear Papa bear up well under everything,—or rather in seeing that he is borne up. He who has comforted & strengthened him & us under heavier sorrows than this sorrow, has not forgotten us now. You know, the mother may forget her child—but “I will not forget”. [3]
I hope Papa may soon be able to follow us to Sidmouth, where my aunt has lengthened out her long kindness yet more, by proposing to accompany us. When we are there all together, & the pain of going away is once over, I do not doubt that we shall be very happy. I am sure I ought not to doubt it—& I do not doubt it. Relief from anxiety will be one blessing,—& then the right kind of happiness does not depend upon situation—luckily for us! for we never never can love another place as we have loved & do love this dear place. I hope that they who succeed us here, only love it half as well!
But I ought not to tire you with all this. My object <…> [4] in writing on, is to thank you dear Lady Margaret, for the unvaried kindness & attention which you have shown towards me, & to assure you that neither in sorrow nor in joy have I forgotten or shall I forget them. I am quick, I believe, in feeling kindness. But I must have been slow indeed, not to have felt yours. May God bless you, & make you happy—& those whom you love, happy! When you think of me, you think of one who is & must remain
Affectionately yours
E B Barrett.
Henrietta desires her best regards to you. Will you mention Papa & all of us to Lord Somers. My aunt also begs me to offer you her kind remembrances.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: James Hervey-Bathurst.
1. John Potter (1674?–1747), Archbishop of Canterbury, was a noted classical scholar and author.
2. This letter is apparently the one enclosed with letter 459.
3. Psalms, 119:16. “I” underscored twice.
4. About half a line obliterated, apparently by EBB.
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