SD2094. Anna Brownell Jameson to Camilla Sherwin

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 24, 264–265.

[Florence]

[mid-July 1857]

<***> my life has been perfectly calm & almost solitary. I cannot stir during the day—& lie on my bed or sopha reading—in the evening I often drive out with Mrs Browning along the banks of the Arno in a park called here the Cascine—Mr Browning rides—in a week or two Florence will be unbearable & I must go somewhere probably to Siena—where it is some degrees cooler & there are no mosquitos.

Gerardine has not finished the plates nor does she write and as she is not mistress of herself or her time I am in great anxiety—never again will I give her any work to do or mix myself up in any way with her husband—he has a temper worse than poor Frank’s for caprice & despotism without his good & generous qualities—poor Geddie is not to blame—far from it & Louisa acts admirably, bearing all things for her child’s sake– I am so much happier here than I was at Rome—always in hot water—& unable to bear what I should have laughed at perhaps had I been well!—this is just a scratch to acknowledge Eliza’s letter.

I wish Charlotte would write to me. What is she doing to amuse herself besides dusting my books & dipping the doggie? Brighton must be very hot– I saw Mrs Trollope to day for a few minutes—looking ill, broken, old—haggard & worse–

Publication: None traced.

Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.

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