4760. EBB & RB to George Goodin Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 28, 192–197.
| [In EBB’s hand] | Florence |
Oct 12 [sic, for 13]– [1860] [1]
My ever dearest George, I had your letter on the morning of our leaving Siena—which accounts for this two days, no, three days silence on my part. I travelled, dear, dear George, in the shadow of your letter– There was nothing new, & something welcome,—and yet it cast on me a sort of sadness, .. which wears off .. perhaps through the unconscious influence of the change of air & scene, or perhaps, as Robert thinks, in a more reasonable appreciation of what you wrote. Our dearest tenderly beloved Henrietta seems to suffer less acute pain– That is all mercy– And that she should not be forced to increase the anodynes a good symptom in itself. I try to gather up the crumbs of comfort, you see– Indeed I do not vex myself beyond what is necessary,—I shut my eyes on no ray of light– “As those who wait for the morning” [2] I look for it on all sides– You were very dear, George, to write so soon—for it was before my time of expecting a letter. Thank you, dearest George.
Believe me, I have had time too for thinking of you lately. You will know that by my impertinent remarks on your rural schemes, when I wrote of them to Arabel– I admire & love you, George .. more than you have an idea of .. and I cant hear of your taking to infinitisimal [sic] farming in a country seclusion, (sewing up your life in a bag) without much heart-burning & groaning. Dear, dear George, dont do any such thing—especially in a hurry, .. & before you have taken a wider look at the world and its various highways. Surely there are positions open to you, with your legal antecedents, where you might do moderate & useful work with satisfaction to your country & yourself & I tell you clearly– .. Only one fact could reconcile me to your country retirement, & that is … forgive me .. your marriage– If you mean to take a companion with you—into retirement, .. well .. then I have no more to say– Otherwise, I do protest—the louder too that I have your promise,—(& when we are all somewhat happier I shall dun you upon it) to pay a visit to me in Italy– Ah—it makes me sigh now to think of any pleasant thought– It hurts me—when my precious Henrietta is bearing pain– To hear of her being a little, a little satisfactorily better would make the thought of a pleasure possible—but now, as it is, .. “may God save her” seems the end of all wishing .. the extreme point, I mean– So, may God help us all–
As to Garibaldi, George, I would indeed have willingly hindered much you have read of– Bid Arabel observe that the fear I expressed some time ago is only justified. He is a hero and loyal—honest, .. true to the truth—but easily influenced, & exposed to the worst influences,––not strong. Col. Peard (“Garibaldi’s Englishman”) writes to Florence in a private letter, that Mazzini’s people cling about him day & night poisoning his mind too successfully—among the rest, my unlucky friend Jessie Mario, .. who “pretends to be busy at the hospitals” but is busy instead with Garibaldi– [3] Such decrees!—confiscating property & the like! The fleet unmanned,—troops melting away .. popular disaffection alarming. Still, the resolute & united sentiment of the national party throughout Italy, & the largeness & energy of the mind at Turin [4] have produced their effect, we hope & trust—and the king is likely to be received at Naples with open arms– True, that Mazzini, who was civilly requested to go at once, refuses– [5] But we shall see the last of him presently.
At this moment I am more “put out” by Viterbo, [6] —& the French letting in the Pope’s people after dispossession, (if they have done it)– “Napoleon cant do wrong,” you say, with me– Yes, he can, George, if he does—only it is not proved till then. He has hitherto done so admirably well, produced such great results at so small an expence of human suffering & destruction, & shown throughout these Italian movements, together with surpassing ability[,] so unimpeachable a degree of sincere desire to attain the best for Italy, that it is reasonable as well as just to give him the benefit of the doubt on any doubtful case– The direction of his troops on Viterbo, Velletri, &c &c has been understood to be the occupation of certain points for temporary strategical purposes [7] —& also perhaps to make as much noise, & smoke as he can, in order to keep the pope quiet, & the powers from intervening– It is even said by some persons that after Warsaw, Austria will be down on us, [8] & that the French are preparing for that movement. And General Goyon is apt to do good things badly .. besides having a secret sympathy for the cardinals, which makes him very unpopular in the French army– At last we shall see the road clear. I believe in Napoleon. I know too much of him in fact, not to believe– He is the man of the time, & at the head of all progress. In return, the reactionary governments are getting up a Holy alliance against him .. in which England has her finger– I am sorry England should have her finger in it– Prussia is simply contemptible. Germany acts after her kind—(that is, the petty princes do)– Russia might have done better .. (considering some noble efforts about the serfs)– [9] Austria does the best for her corruptions. But I am sorry England should have her finger in it, & I wish the finger were burnt rather.
When the Secret history of this Italian revolution shall come to be read, students will turn in their chairs & say, “Curious”– It is very curious–
We still intend going to Rome—unless disturbances increase– The danger to me is rather in the cold than in the revolution—but I dont think of it—we leave the point undetermined for a few weeks– In Rome, the Romans are preparing flags to welcome Victor Emmanuel—so I heard a few days since from a safe source– At that time, the pope’s fugitives (Lamoricière’s) were disarmed by the French as they entered the city—& the populace assembled in the streets in a manner unknown to Rome hitherto–
Let me tell you– There is an ancient prophecy in Italy,—old by hundreds of years–. “The Cross will perish by the cross–” Nobody knew what it meant till lately, when the whole world finds out that it indicates the destruction of the church’s temporal power by the cross of Savoy– [10]
Then there’s another prophecy—“When a battle shall be fought on the mountain of the crosses, monte delle crocette,” [11] (a place near Loretto [12] .. the very place where Cialdini gained his fight against Lamoricière) [13] “Italy shall be one.”
So speak the prophets here: & Frederick Tennyson writes to me from Jersey that Napoleon is the number of the Beast 666. [14] So you see he does’nt take my view exactly of Imperial merits–
I have not been out since we arrived here– Yesterday we had a visit from Anthony Trollope the clever novelist, who is at Florence visiting his brother. I like both brothers– The novelist is surpassingly clever as a writer, .. dont you think? And he has a very kind feeling for me, I understand from those who bear witness–
Mr Landor came with us & was deposited at his house– He is crossing Robert just now by insisting on translating into Italian & printing (“for the benefit of Garibaldi”!) certain of his Imaginary conversations– His Italian is not up to the mark, & the proceeds are likely to be considerably behind hand with the expenses– He is so selfish, so self-adoring, and so little earnest, that I cannot pretend to like him much– I am simply kind out of humanity, & for Robert.
We have had an offer from America lately– If either of us will give a “scrap” of verse “ever so short,” every week for a year to a periodical in America, five hundred pounds English shall be his portion. [15] I am offered, too, six hundred pounds for a novel on Italian affairs– These brilliant offers however are not accepted– I could’nt bind myself to work of that kind, which would exclude works more after my own desire. They pay well in America– For five short lyrics about Italy, [16] I have a hundred pounds—as much as they sent me for Aurora Leigh– “The forced Recruit” had ten guineas– [17] You see literature is’nt such a bad trade after all—though one works for it in the nervous system, and the returns fluctuate– Also, you know, they pay me a good deal in England, with mud & eggshells … One must remember that.
Robert is going to write to ask you to be our trustee in place of the Indian Judge Arno[u]ld, my dearest George– He wishes it much & of course I should like it—but dont be drawn to engage in anything too uncomfortable or troubling to your dear self.
I am afraid of naming Arabel Tam charum caput [18] is sacred—but take care of it—do. I almost wonder you dont see me walking about the rooms, .. I think so much of you all– May God love you & help us all—& love & bless that precious Henrietta of ours who is first just now with everyone of us– Arabel will let me know when you hear of Sette’s arrival in Jamaica. I hope he may be qualified to manage the estates—dearest George’s
most attached Ba–
Love to dear Surtees & the children– Tell Arabel to remember about Miss Sewell’s books—“Ursula” for instance[.] [19] Let Henrietta feel how closely my heart is with her– And never let her write to me.
[Continued by RB]
Dear George– Ba leaves me little space enough to say more than a word about the trusteeship: the whole matter was put into Mr K’s [20] hands who appointed Chorley & Arnould, my friends: I don’t know what the provisions of the deed were, it having been purely a matter of form—consequently for fourteen years neither trustee has had to do any thing,—but they may have,—so that, Arnould being too busy & distant, we must replace him—I suppose—for the words of the solicitors* are “We presume you will have to appoint a successor, & if you will instruct your solicitor to prepare the necessary deed, we will attend to it immedy on behalf of Sir Joseph”– If we can really go on with one Trustee only,—good—so much expense & trouble will be saved—but if a new one is necessary—will you not gratify me by being that one? I think or am sure that the trust only concerns what takes place in the interest of Ba & our child after my death—so that it is really your affair.
For the rest, Ba’s & your sympathy with dear Henrietta are wholly shared in by Yours affectionately ever R B.
*Murray, Son & Hutchings, 11. Birchin Lane.
Address, in EBB’s hand: Angleterre viâ Fr / George G Moulton Barrett Esqre / Stoke Court / near Taunton.
Publication: B-GB, pp. 241–246.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. The Brownings left Siena and arrived in Florence on 11 October 1860 (see letter 4761).
2. Cf. Psalm 130:6.
4. i.e., Cavour.
6. A city 50 miles N.W. of Rome in the Papal State of Lazio. A bloodless revolt had recently ousted the government and replaced it with a Municipal Commission that sought union with Piedmont. The Morning Post of 18 October (p. 6) reported that a French regiment left Rome for Viterbo on the 9th. The issue of 20 October (p. 6), quoting from La Nazione (Florence), reported that French troops entered the city on 11 October, whereupon the Municipal Commission surrendered its authority. “On the same morning more than 500 citizens of Viterbo, of all ages and of all ranks … abandoned the city and their houses … all self-banished from the well-founded apprehension of clerical vengeance.”
7. In effect, forming a military cordon for the protection of Rome. In a dispatch to Lord John Russell, dated 15 October 1860, Odo Russell reported: “The towns now occupied by the French troops are: Civita Vecchia, Corneto, Viterbo, Ronciglione, Civita Castellana, Campagnano, Castelnuovo di Porto, Tivoli, Palestrina, Genzzano, Valmontone, Albano, Velletri, and Frascati. The public mind is much distressed. The occupation has been reluctantly submitted to, and morally opposed” (Further Correspondence Relating to the Affairs of Italy, Part VII, 1861, p. 110).
8. See letter 4753, note 12 and letter 4755, note 12.
9. In March 1856, Tsar Alexander II (1818–81) asked the Russian nobility to devise a plan for ending serfdom in the empire. On 19 February 1861 (Russian calendar), Alexander signed and proclaimed the Emancipation Manifesto, which freed the serfs.
11. “Mountain of the little crosses.”
12. Sic, for Loreto, a pilgrimage destination, 15 miles south of Ancona.
13. Actually, at Castelfidardo (see letter 4738, note 6).
16. Sent to Theodore Tilton for publication in The Independent (New York), they were: “First News from Villafranca,” “King Victor Emanuel Entering Florence” (see letter 4662, note 2), “The Sword of Castruccio Castracani,” “Summing Up in Italy” (see letter 4711, note 3), and “Garibaldi” (see letter 4730, note 13).
18. “Such a dear one.”
19. Elizabeth Missing Sewell, Ursula, A Tale of Country Life (1858).
20. John Kenyon’s.
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