4893. EBB to Eliza Anne Ogilvy
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 29, 121–123.
Rome. 126. Via Felicè.
Saturday [11] May. [1861] [1]
My very dear friend,
If I have not written before, it was not that we were ignorant of your loss or careless of your pain, [2] but that, from an idiosyncrasy of mine, I am always unwilling to write letters of condolence, through a consciousness, of my own terrible unwillingness to receive such– Only that is not a common feeling—and certainly even I could & did value your sympathy when it came to me so kindly. Well. We have felt indeed, for dear Mr Ogilvy. You have had, of course, heaps of letters to receive & answer, & when the last is done with, let me have a line to say that he has quite turned his face to the light, & is reconciled after the manner of the good & brave, to the course of God’s natural providences– A woman of so long & pure & conscientious a life, leaves her children the inheritance of golden peace in the things relating to her. She has lived well, died well—it is well with for ever. And their grief does not come to them separate from Thanksgiving.
Robert saw it in the newspaper—‘Perth’ left no doubt– We were thrown back in cordial regard to the times at Florence & Lucca,—when we were younger, & some of us richer in loving hopes for this earth. Now the ranks here are thinned, the angels there stand thicker, .. the babies which were round us, are growing up into men. My Penini, who was an infant, reads in Latin about “Illustrious men of the city of Rome,” [3] and I dream of those on whom I shall not look again in this world, & who are learning higher lessons with God, than any to be learnt below by the young or the old. Your Alexander .. where is he? You had sent him from you when you wrote before. Tell me if he is contented, .. & if you are not otherwise. Tell me too of Louisa’s health, & of the other darlings. And I should so much like to know what your plans are—if there is any modification of plan– Shall you remain at Sydenham?
We are at Rome till the end of May– We have had some chilly wind out of season, to pay for the singularly mild winter, and I have not taken a general licence to go out & get my strength back for the summer’s uses– Our intention is to go to Florence for a week or two on our way to the neighbourhood of Paris, where we shall spend three months with Robert’s family & my sister Arabel who will meet us there. I am very little “up” to this effort, either in my body or my soul, & am most averse to it– Only the duty of it is clear, .. seeing that my husband’s father is not young, & I have already been the cause of the meeting being put off a year—so I shall eschew farther responsibility, & shut my eyes & leap. Oh– how deeply my inclination is, .. never to set foot out of Italy again! I have grown to the soil. Everywhere else seems too loud & too light. I can live here my own way, & work my own work, & enjoy my own silence.
The world is in an hour of great crisis– Is it the time of the “restitution of all things”.? [4] I read in a private letter from Francis Newman the other day, that “for years he had looked in vain for the finger of God in the fate of nations,—but that within the last two years he had seen it!” That was striking, was it not? .. coming from such a man–
America is passing through a tragic crisis. She will either be lost,—or be greater than ever. I hope, for my part.
Italy will do well. Our Garibaldi, that grand child, has turned good again,—& the danger of his setting the house on fire, is hindered for the moment. The Neapolitan States present difficulties, but they are much exaggerated.
The war question is still in suspence: depending, much upon Hungary, but not all. I scarcely believe in the possibility of prolonging the actual position (between Austria & Italy) throughout this summer & autumn. Reasons of finance seem against it still more than reasons of passion.
The egotism of England illustrates itself in Syria & Turkey, [5] not to name the Ionian islands——Poveri noi!– [6] The nationalities meanwhile are burning their way out into the air, & we shall have flames, for all the repressive & cautious policy. It is understood that the French are here now simply to prevent the Austrians from coming. The queen of Naples (the young one) wanders about with her lovely sorrowful face,—another ruin added to the rest–
If you ever read novels read ‘Agnes Tremorne,’ written by a female friend of mine. It is a first book, & has its faults—but you will like certain things in it—and the scene is in Rome– The writer has a very active mind & considerable talent,—besides being one of the <***>
Publication: EBB-EAHO, pp. 170–172.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
1. Dating based on EBB’s references to Francis Newman (see letter 4888) and Garibaldi, particularly the phrase “grand child, has turned good again” (see letter 4891).
2. The death of her mother-in-law, Marcia Anne Ogilvy (née Napier, 1783–1861), on April 1st “at Charlotte-street, Perth … in the seventy-ninth year of her age” (The Morning Post, 4 April 1861, p. 8).
4. Acts 3:21.
5. The British government continued to be concerned about the French presence in Syria, a province of the Ottoman Empire (i.e., Turkey); see letter 4751, note 27 and letter 4828, note 10. For the Ionian Islands, see letter 4346, note 16.
6. “Poor us.”
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