4863. EBB to George Goodin Moulton-Barrett
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 29, 53–54.
Rome. 126 Via Felice.
April 2 [1861] [1]
Ever dearest George. I dont like putting in my line about business to you, when there are things nearer to speak of—but Robert says he must write today on this deed question & so there’s really a necessity on me, I feel, (poor She of a Ba as I am) to write a word too.
Dearest George, you know I dont care much about these things—but on this particular point of throwing back our last money into England, I have a strong opinion– It would be an inconvenience to us in various ways, & objectionable in some others into which there is no use entering. When the first Deed was made fourteen years ago, [2] I protested strongly, and yielded only to a representation of dear Mr Kenyon that I had no right to put my husband into a false position, & to expose him to the shadow of a suspicion even for a limited time. I yielded—agreeing that the advantage we lost by the Deed, (being simply a money-advantage) was not worth that other risk– I point out to you, however, that we suffered for a great many years pecuniary disadvantage from the restrictions of the Deed. We had to live on half the small income at best possible to us—& how much we were pinched & ground down through Robert’s resolution to keep out of debt, none of you perhaps ever knew– If Mr Kenyon had not forced on us his hundred a year after three years, when Pen was born, [3] the straight [sic] would have been increased–
Since his bequest, all this is of course altered– [4] Through our prudence in not increasing the circle of our expences in proportion to the enlarged income, we never want to think of money, which is an infinite blessing to people like us– We are free to move our hands, & to please ourselves—— And to suppose that, being still in our right mind, we ever would consent to being tied up again to a post, is really out of the question my dearest dear George– The six thousand pounds in England, I consider sacrificed– Between income-tax & minute percentage, its scarcely worth counting in one’s resources. We can make as much by passing a few stanzas through an American newspaper in two months, as what we draw from England.
Then––after fourteen years, we are above suspicion. Agreed that Robert will probably survive me, .. agreed even, on my side, that he may re-marry .. being a man .. nay, “being subject to like passions” [5] as other men, he may commit some faint show of bigamy .. who knows?– But what is absolutely impossible for him is that under any temptation or stress of passion, he could sacrifice what belongs to Peni to another.– Draw up the strictest legal document by the help of a confederation of lawyers, and I would rather trust Robert– Your deed may have a flaw in it after all– “You can drive a carriage & four through any Act of Parliament.” [6] But for Robert to fail here is impossible. [7] He has that exaggerated idea of virtues connected with money, which distinguishes the man from the woman. He is rigid about such things– I know him. He is far more capable of committing murder, than of the slightest approach to pecuniary indelicacy– That is beyond the circle of his temptations, be sure.
The end of all this is to prove to you how entirely motiveless it would be as an act of folly, if I [7] consented to restrictions of the kind you hint at–
If you have the goodness, dearest George, to accept any trust for us, you will find everything laid as straight, & smooth for your hand as you could desire,––poets though we be– Property in Italy as in England, will be left clear– The worst we do is to add to the principal– We had a temptation towards buying an exquisite villa close to Florence last autumn, but resisted on the ground of the doubt whether the winters there were not over-cold for me– To resist on the ground of the money’s being tied up, would have been considerably more mortifying.
Ah,—dearest George– May peace & joy sit at your hearth!– I dont like your scheme of living alone in that way! You shall tell me how it turns out when you come with Arabel to meet us in France–
No—you did not think that I could have the heart to go to England this year–
May God bless you, beloved George–
Your grateful &
affectionate & selfwilled
Ba–
Love & thanks to dear Henry–
Publication: B-GB, pp. 252–254.
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. Year provided by letter 4864, which accompanied this one.
2. EBB refers to the Brownings’ marriage settlement, the limitations of which she discussed in letter 2878.
4. In his will, John Kenyon left £6,500 to RB and £4,000 to EBB.
5. Cf. James 5:17.
6. The original of this expression, “drive a coach and six horses through the act of settlement” is attributed to Sir Stephen Rice (1637–1715); see DNB.
7. Underscored twice.
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