5783. RB to Frederic Chapman
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 32, 105–106.
19. Warwick Crescent,
Upper Westbourne Terrace, W.
June 27. ’66.
My dear Chapman,
Nothing can be fairer, I think, than your proceedings, and I am quite contented with my share of the profit: I agree to what you propose, about the abatement to be made, when the next Edition appears, of what you now pay for as to an English market, if you get an American one. I hardly expected this piece of shabbiness: Francis [1] paid for nothing but “Aurora Leigh,”—not a cent for the previous poems which he has been multiplying editions of, these twenty years: and Miller paid for “Last Poems”—& “Greek Chr. Poets”: [2] but why that is to prevent an English copy of the whole works entering America, I don’t know. I hope you will do well with this Edition, I am sure. I did not require the payment for the “Selections”—but it will be agreeable to get so much money at once. If you like to send it in one cheque, I will return that which I have: and I will also call next week and sign the paper.
Yours very truly ever
Robert Browning.
Publication: NL, pp. 174–175 (as to Edward Chapman).
Manuscript: Pierpont Morgan Library.
1. Charles Stephen Francis (1805–87); see letter 2977, note 14. He had paid £100 for the American edition of Aurora Leigh (see letter 3829, note 3).
2. Miller paid £500 for the American edition of Last Poems and £250 for the American edition of The Greek Christian Poets and the English Poets (see letter 5187).
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