SD1299. Frances Hanford to Frances Parthenope Nightingale

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 14, 368 (in part).

[Pisa]

Sunday. 28 November 1846

… You know all about Mrs Browning do you not? We have just been to see them. I cannot tell you how wonderful it seemed to me to see her sitting up and talking like anybody else and talking too of having travelled all across France by Diligence[.] I felt a little doubtful whether to call fearing she might think it a bore but they met us with open arms talking much of the James Martins kindness and looking upon us in the light of a bit of them. Mrs Jameson travelled with them from Paris to this place and was excessively kind to her: she is now at Florence busy in preparing her new work “The Lives of the Saints as illustrated by Art.” Paracelsus is very poetical looking with large black eyes and a pale complexion: he was very agreeable in conversation and not at all high flown or lackadaisical. …

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Sir Ralph Verney.

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