Thursday June 9th.

Eliza Cliffe & two ponies arrived immediately after breakfast; & we set off for Malvern at about half past ten: Henrietta & Eliza riding; Bummy Arabel & I in the wheelbarrow. I was nervous about Annie & everybody at Ruby Cottage all the way there. No use in it—“thinks I to myself”. They drove me nearly to the gate, & then turning back, left me to make my own debut. I could scarcely stand debout. Annie, espied in the garden, walked away on catching a glimpse of the carriage. I was shewn into the drawing room—[“]sola cum sola”![1]—& was, while I was consternating myself, desired to go into Mrs. Boyd’s bedroom. She dressing. To my astonishment, she told me that Annie was going that day,—& she herself as her companion,—to Sir John Gibbons!! In the midst of our talking, into the room came Annie. Cool reception—on her part I mean. Very very cool manner! Mrs. Boyd sent her in to Mr. Boyd to apprize him of my arrival; & in a few minutes, he was ready to see me. When I got into the room, I was at ease in one moment, & in a humour to forget all the worrying out of it. With regard to my Warren Blacking verses he told me, that he could not see the meaning of the line ending each verse?[2]—& my explanation seemed to make darkness darker. He said besides that there was nothing of my usual poetical manner in them: but that, as he was aware of the inequalities of the productions of people of talent, there was one thing which surprised him more than my having written them; tho’ that had surprised him. I guessed the one thing to be, my having published them. “No! you know, I am always blunt—I am very much surprised at the Times Newspaper having received them”. He hoped that I had not blamed him for not writing to me! Mrs. B had seemed so much occupied, lately!

We argued as to whether engraving or painting was the superior art. Agreed at last—that if we compared the engraver & the painter who was a mere copyist, the engraver should stand first: but that the original painter should stand before the engraver. Talked of Reform.[3] He led me to believe by his manner, that a letter he had just received from Dr. A Clarke[4] contained an anti-reform opinion. He then gave me the letter which contained an opinion warmly in favour of the bill. I was pleased; and asked permission to show this letter which is a very able one, to Papa. The rain came on; & as my party was thus detained at Great Malvern until six o’clock, I in the meanwhile, dined superficially with Mrs. Boyd, that Mr. Boyd might not be detained from his dinner by my being in the room. After dinner, I went back again to him. Talked of Blomfield’s Septem apud Thebas,[5] which I have ordered from Worcester, to read with him. Mrs. Boyd’s carriage, & our wheelbarrow at the door at the same time. She is to remain away a week; & Mr. Boyd asked me to go to see him in the interim. Monday or Tuesday—cant you fix Monday? I agreed to it. Annie kissed me affectionately at parting; & when I asked her to let us hear sometimes from her, she said she would—that is, if I have time!— We drove home at seven in a pouring rain: Eliza dined & slept here. Papa pleased with Dr A C’s letter, shown to him after dinner. We talked a little; & I talked boldly about the Wesleyans.

1. “Alone with myself.” Possibly her phrase owes something to Cicero (De Officiis, III, i: “nec minus solum, quam cum solus esse” – “never less lonely than when alone”).

2. “And he—he was a king.”

3. The burning political issue of the day. The outdated electoral machinery left the preponderance of voting power in the boroughs, and took no account of the growth of industrial areas such as Manchester and Birmingham; at this time, these two towns returned no members to Parliament, although Old Sarum, with only seven voters, still returned two. As far back as 1776, John Wilkes and John Cartwright had called for Parliamentary Reform, to give just and equal representation. Repeated attempts to introduce legislation had been blocked by those with vested interests in maintaining the status quo; (it had been calculated in 1793 that the Lords of the Treasury, 71 peers and 82 commoners between them controlled the nomination of 306 out of the 558 members of the Commons). The most recent Bill had been introduced in March 1831, and had been given a second reading by a majority of one, but the Government had been defeated on the third reading in April. The ensuing General Election had given further evidence of the popular will by returning Lord Grey’s Administration with increased strength.

4. Adam Clarke (1762–1832), Irish Wesleyan Minister and theological writer, a close friend of H.S.B. There was also a slight degree of consanguinity, as Clarke’s grandmother was a Boyd.

5. Charles James Blomfield, ed. Æschyli Septem Contra Thebas (Cambridge, 1812).


National Endowment for the Humanities - Logo

Editorial work on The Brownings’ Correspondence is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This website was last updated on 3-28-2024.

Copyright © 2024 Wedgestone Press. All rights reserved.

Back To Top