SD1210.1. Mary Russell Mitford to Henry Fothergill Chorley
Addendum to The Brownings’ Correspondence, vol. 9.
[Three Mile Cross]
[Monday] [17–18 June 1844]
My very dear friend—
Between crying & excitement I never closed my eyes all night & can hardly see out of them today—(Jane declared that next time I went to Mr Chorley’s she would provide two pocket handkerchiefs)—& as I would fain share all such troubled joys with one who dearly loves them Miss Barrett I have to entreat that you will let her see Sir Archibald—she is most desirous of the favour & will esteem it as it deserves. You could hardly have a reader of more true sensibility to beauty or more thoroughly willing to admire all that is sweet & true & tender in you especially, of whom she has heard so much– I shall tell you what she says—& next time we meet I hope to take you to that dark room where there is so much to love– I never heard her express a wish to see any one there before, for she generally shrinks from strangers, but you could hardly carry your sunshine where it would be more prized.——Tuesday Morning—so far had I got last night when I became so sleepy that I could not go on– However you will comprehend that Miss Barrett who sees only Mr Kenyon Mr Hunter (an Anabaptist minister of great learning & goodness) & myself will certainly be most delighted to see you some day or other when you have leisure & even then—she says all sorts of things about “not being worthy” & so forth—but you the chosen friend & correspondent of Mrs Hemans & Miss Martineau ought to know that other great & admirable woman I love quite more that you will think it worth while. In the mean time do send her your play—she begs to see it– I have not told her a word of the closing because I want to know whether there is any |want| of preparation in that first scene– To be sure Elizabeth Barrett does not exactly answer to Mrs Kemble’s definition of an audience—still she is so [illegible word] and so truthful that we shall get from her the exact impression– Remember that there is always much noise in the first scene & that it will be fully worth while to sacrifice a little grace of dialogue to the necessity of clearness—of a clear preparation for the main interest of the principal character. You see that I can think of nothing else– I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs Procter yesterday, & talking with her about it—she quite met my feeling—only she thinks that it cannot be acted. I on the contrary should not be afraid of it with any fair company—ask me! I never called on the kind & excellent Dilke—will you make my respectful compts & apologies? I can think of nothing but that play– I am as sure of a high success as I should have been with Virginians or William Tell or The Honeymoon—the three greatest plays of this century– Yours is better than either– Be sure & tell me what Macready says.– Flush has realised Falstaff’s theory & grown so fat with grieving during the last week that he can hardly move– I suppose that he was very mopish, & they fed him to remove his whinings—& he lent himself to the consolation—& having nobody to take him out the want of exercise has added to the evils—I never saw such a back. It’s as broad as it is long.– Mr. Horne desired Miss Barrett to tell me to tell you that Mr Powell had no hand in his work—that it was entirely the result of one mind—right or wrong– This I think is the substance of the message. For my part I should have been very glad of a co-adjutor to take the credit of some of the bad taste if I had been Orion—but I can only say what I was desired to say– The message should have been given on Sunday—but I was thinking of other matters– Heaven bless you my dear friend– I ought to have thanked you over & over again for all your kindness– There are very few people like you for goodness to old friends, let them be as poor & obscure as they may!– Then I think of you & Mr Kenyon & the Barretts (I like them all) & the Harnesses– I cannot help feeling how rich I am in friends– Mrs Jameson was so good as to call on Monday—yesterday—I am so sorry to have missed her– Once again adieu
Ever most gratefully yours
M R Mitford
Publication: Henry Fothergill Chorley: Autobiography, Memoir, and Letters, ed. Henry G. Hewlett (London, 1873), II, 17–18 (in part).
Manuscript: Berkshire Record Office.
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