4902. EBB to Isa Blagden
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 29, 139–140.
Rome.
[ca. 27 May 1861] [1]
Ever dearest Isa, how grieved I am to have this sad news of you. Kate’s letter frightened me down the first page,—& though I hope its only a cold, & I shall find you well & brilliant, (may God grant it!) yet I shall long for a word of reassurance until I get the word.
We are broiling in Rome—the heat intense,—& we, because we waited for our special vetturino, [2] cant get away, till saturday (first of June) at earliest. We travel by Siena, but shall sleep, I hope, at Sette Vene [3] rather than Viterbo, to make the journey less fatiguing. I am a good deal stronger, but by no means equal in body or soul to efforts of any kind—only what must be, must be. We have taken no house here.
G. has arrived. Robert met him in the street, & afterwards he called on me once, only once,—& this before he had seen anyone beside. He told me that he “had not yet decided on leaving Florence, though he liked Rome”,—since when, I believe, his prospects of social intercourse have been politely narrowed .. so that if he is here on that account simply, he will return, forthwith, into Tuscany. He lives close by us—& Robert called on him I am glad to say, “fulfilling the whole law.” [4] G & I talked only on general subjects, .. politics &c .. but he told me, by the way, that he had left you quite well “after the achievement of your literary triumph”– “Quite a triumph,” he repeated, “it was”. Then he praised the book.
Dear—he has been like a blind man standing on a flower-bed .. perfectly unaware of committing a wrong. By a species of intense selfishness, of course! Dont fancy that I am inventing an apology for him. My liking for him has suffered greatly. I hate selfish men—wrapt up in their own personality. But I dare say he has suffered himself—& I am sure he has deserved to suffer.
Dearest Isa, be so good as to let Ansano forbid at the post &c any further sending of letters to us. We shall have left Rome on saturday next.
Mr Story has made a bust of Robert, & presented it to him– It was the work of nine days, & is an admirable likeness. We shall have it put into marble.
I wish we were out of Rome, for the weather is very oppressive. We have stayed here too long– First .. because I could’nt travel, and then for the vetturino–
Dearest dear Isa, be well! be well!– Dont let me think of your being ill, among the other black thoughts.
May God bless you & love you
prays your loving Ba.
Robert’s best love– What a kind letter you wrote him! And Pen’s love.
This is how it was– G did not see A at all. He called– They were out. Then he called again. A did not appear—and Mrs M. [5] explained in all kindness that it was better for everybody, considering everything, to avoid the renewal of intercourse– He acceded at once,—behaving so well, (Mrs M said) that after telling Robert, she begged him to be silent on what she had felt herself constrained to do. So dont mention it—even to A & Mrs M.
Publication: B-IB, pp. 469–471.
Manuscript: Fitzwilliam Museum.
1. Approximate dating based on EBB’s reference to the Brownings’ planned departure from Rome “saturday (first of June).”
2. Pietro Gai (see letter 4535, note 2).
3. Described in Murray’s A Handbook for Travellers in Central Italy (1864) as “a large inn,” 22 miles north of Rome and preferred by the vetturini to other inns in the area (p. 412). Viterbo was some 28 miles farther on.
4. Cf. Romans 13:10.
5. Mary Mackenzie and Annette Bracken were sharing a fourth-floor apartment in Rome, as indicated in letter 4906.
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