5576. Lady William Russell to RB
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 31, 242–243.
[London]
[Postmark: 28 March 1865]
I am really grateful for your Epistolary Enclosures they are charming & charm me—— Measles are Sujects à Caution, & you are mistaken in thinking me the Inventor of precautionary Quarantine[.] You said to a fair friend at a Party “are you afraid of me like Ly W is”? —— believe me, hundreds whom you don’t frequent, are afraid of infection—— I am not, because my grown up Sons as well as myself, have gone through these Animal Epreuves de la Vie [1] — — but I have 4 grand-children [2] ———& besides that——bisogna aver riguardo [3] ––– As to other Peoples Superstitions––– & not selfishly consult ones own wishes–––it was that riguardo that caused me to give up the pleasure of seeing you for 3 weeks, until the last time it was broken by your accepting a Dinner with Lord Houghton if you recollect——
I do not like to “press you into the Service”——you are so much engaged & so many have Seniority or rather Priority of acquaintance over me that I give way to them & reflect that a round Dozen is more amusing than a round Table to which I only venture to invite Intimates of half a Century————& occasionally at their request a new guest whom they wish to meet————when they are tired of “Toujours Perdrix” [4] —— & toujours Politics––– I am quite unhappy about poor dear Cartwright!!— My last Letters from Odo—18th & 21st tell me that—the Baby is given over! [5] —Tommy & Fairfax in danger!–– Wanda ill in Bed [6] –––all of different Disorders––– Mrs Cartwright a fever, but nursing her children & Cartwright–––threatening a second Jaundice!!—— By the bye to Day we are threatened with an Earth Quake!! did you hear of it? ——
“Roba di Roma” from the Storys not a Line, this Very long time— But many other Letters besides Odo’s twice a’ week —— Illness Everywhere–––Naples––Nice––Cannes & Paris–––besides Rome ——
Address: Robert Browning Esq / 19 Warwick Crescent / Upper Westbourne Terrace / W.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.
1. “Trials of life.”
2. Lady William Russell’s eldest son, Francis Charles Hastings Russell (1819–91), later 9th Duke of Bedford, had four children with his wife, Lady Elizabeth Sackville West (1818–97): George William Francis Sackville (1852–93), later 10th Duke of Bedford; Lady Ella Monica Sackville (1854–1936); Lady Ermyntrude Sackville (afterwards Malet, 1856–1927); and Herbrand Arthur Sackville (1858–1940), later 11th Duke of Bedford.
3. “Caution is needed.”
4. “Too much of a good thing”; literally, “always partridge.”
6. The Cartwrights’ three other children (see letter 4386, note 3).
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