SD2648.5. John Ruskin to James Anthony Froude
Addendum to The Brownings’ Correspondence, vol. 30.
[London]
[ca. 7] [July 1863] [1]
Dear Froude,
I’ve just run upstairs from the breakfast table to answer your dear little note. I never thought you ill-natured—and did not wholly believe the statement. But I was put in a great passion by Browning’s quizzing the boy’s verses, because I know quizzing never does that sort of boy good—still less that sort of company, and it was a treason to himself as well as to the really good work mixed with faulty work, which had to be acknowledged—he might have got more power over the youth’s mind—which he has now lost. So when Milnes and Swinburne told me Chapman & Hall had refused on this ground I believed there was some foundation for the story—which gave me much pain—also—there is a satirical flash in your eyes which I’m always frightened at—and I thought it quite probable that you left thinking the verse bad—which it is in many ways[.] You might have quite carelessly and honestly said so when you were asked– So I went and made a row about it at Carlyle’s– I’m so glad you didn’t[.] Carlyle was worse than either of you two, however about the verses. …
Publication: None traced.
Source: Transcript in editors’ file.
1. Dated by Ruskin’s references to Swinburne’s poetry (“the boy’s verses”), which RB discusses in letter 5252.
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