5245. Alfred Tennyson to RB

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 30, 261.

[London]

July 2/63

My dear Browning

Almost as soon as you were gone a whole host of the married δὲs tumbled in upon me & drove out the batchelor. I should have known that so shrewd a fellow as yourself is not easily caught tripping. But while I was merely butting at you, why didn’t you defend yourself by a single instance of the enclitic in tail? [1] had you only said ‘But me no buts’ I might have comprehended– Pray, however, pardon me & believe me

Affecty yours

A Tennyson

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Eton College Library, Michael Meredith Collection.

1. RB has placed an asterisk here and another one at the top of the page with the following note: “(Tennyson had forgotten that the ‘inseparable δε’ is enclitic, though the ‘conjunctive δὲ (but)’ is orthotonon. I said, ‘I will tell you afterward,’ and did so. RB.)” He later gave this letter to his friend Mary Ford for her autograph collection.

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