5982. RB to George Knox Gillespie

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 32, 269.

[London]

Saturday Mg [?23 November] [1867] [1]

My dear Mr Gillespie,

It is hardly necessary to say that I wholly agree with you in the considerable character of such an appointment as you describe. Indeed, I hardly hoped there would be any good issue to the affair,—but conceived it proper to write all the same, so as to give us the opportunity of profiting by any chance, or change in the arrangements: I thought moreover that it could do no harm to make you acquainted with a very influential as well as worthy & amiable person, who will at all events be in a position to remember us should circumstances permit.

You are very good to accept what I felt & feel was inadequate,—for what can one say in a page when one could fill a volume? The spirit in which I wrote, however, may have bettered the thing actually written, a little—& there is no eloquence like conviction of the truth of what one speaks.

Very truly yours ever

Robert Browning.

Satisfactory news of Robert—but not recent news.

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: University of Texas.

1. Conjectural date based on the assumption that RB refers to a position offered to Gillespie by the recipient of letter 5978.

___________________