4846. EBB to Isa Blagden
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 29, 14–15.
[Rome]
[12 March 1861] [1]
<***> Its a double miracle. Probably (to judge from fragments of verses of hers) it was manipulated throughout by the female editor– If it is a short poem, I should like to see it—but if long, never mind copying that– I dont like asking her for it—because in that case I shall have to say something. [2]
Oh, for Agnes Tremorne! Mdme de Swabe [3] has been here this morning. She wants Englishmen to be present at the inauguration of the statue of Manin [4] at Turin on the 22d of this month– The work is paid for—fifty thousand francs from Paris. And Henri Martin is going with representatives of the Siécle & Opinion Nationale, Carnot, Garnier Pagès [5] & others to express French sympathy on the occasion,—& he (H Martin) prays Mdme de Swabe to stir up a few Englishmen with names, to be there & represent English sympathy with Venice– The difficulty is, the restricted time– Wont Mr Trollope go? I ask you & him. The 22d of March is a certain Venetian anniversary. [6] I am writing to Professor Newman, [7] to try whether zeal & a Knapsack can be found in England at a day’s notice for the use of Venice– Lord John has been slack that way, everybody must acknowledge; & Mr Trollope might run to Turin,—if it were only (tell him) not to leave the ground entirely to French sympathizers. The work is by Vela, [8] an Italian sculptor I am to blame for not having heard of.
I cant read over—some one comes in–
I will write again–
In truest love
Your
Ba–.
Publication: B-IB, pp. 420–421.
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. Dated by EBB’s remark: “Mdme. de Swabe has been here this morning.” In letter 4847 EBB also mentions that Mme. Schwabe visited “this morning.”
2. As indicated in letter 4853, EBB refers to a poem, evidently by Mary Ayrault Brown, entitled “Pia de’ Tolomei,” which was published in the March 1861 issue of The English Woman’s Journal (pp. 34–35), its editor being Bessie Rayner Parkes. Based on a grammatical mistake in a letter from Isa, EBB at this time thought the poem by Sophia Eckley.
3. Julia Salis Schwabe (1818–96); see letter 4822, note 10.
4. Daniel Manin (1804–57), Italian patriot, was president of the republic of Venice in 1848.
5. Louis Antoine Garnier-Pagès (1803–78), member of the French provisional government in 1848, was the author of Histoire de la Révolution de 1848 (10 vols., 1861–72). Bon Henri Louis Martin (1810–83), French historian and novelist, had published a book on Daniel Manin in 1859. Hippolyte Carnot (1801–88) had also been a member of the French provisional government in 1848.
6. Celebrating Manin’s proclamation on 22 March 1848, which restored, briefly, the republic of Venice.
7. Francis William Newman (1805–97); see letter 664, note 13.
8. Vincenzo Vela (1820–91), Swiss sculptor and professor of sculpture at the Accademia Albertina in Turin from 1856 to 1867.
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