SD1351.1. William Allingham to Leigh Hunt

Addendum to The Brownings’ Correspondence, vol. 15.

Donegal, Ireland,

11th of June 1848.

My dear Sir,

Pray do send me one line to say that you are reasonably well and happy. I wrote to …

Talking of war—I perceive that King Charles Albert has brought into the Newspapers a place only known to me before as the chief scene of Browning’s poem of Sordello—The Castle of Goito, on, or near, the Mincio.

One feels it something like a gross plagiarism, when the occasions of Time again make use of names that seemed withdrawn into the Eternity of imagination.

As to Sordello however, I must further tell you to prevent mistake that I find it nothing but a piece of rich confusion; confusing one most confoundedly.

I wonder whether he (Browning) and his wife are still in Italy. I saw that they were at Florence some months ago.

Browning seems more of an Italian than an Englishman, which I think a pity—though there is certainly a luxury in using the Southern names even.

Text: Letters to William Allingham, ed. H. Allingham and E. Baumer Williams (London, 1911), pp. 6–8.

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