SD2874. William Michael Rossetti to John Lucas Tupper

As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 32, 357 (in part)

166 Albany Street,

18 February [1867]

Dear Tupper,

Thanks for your friendly expression of opinion about my Swinburne brochure. In the event (not perhaps so likely as you seem to think) of a second edition, I would certainly think over what you say about Browning, though I cannot answer for acting upon it. I see you look upon the matter from a considerably different point of view from what I do. I do not regard the fact mentioned concerning Browning’s eyes to amount to a “visual deficiency,” but only peculiarity: and, as for “tearing his heart before the crowd,” I cannot think that expression, even in its widest purview, applies to the case. You may be quite sure I would not do anything consciously to hurt or even irritate Browning’s feelings. I know him personally, and do not perceive him to be a man-such as Tennyson is-likely to mind an illustrative reference to any such bodily individualism; and, if a man is free from these excessive susceptibilities, I think it much better and more convenient for all parties that he should be treated as free. Browning called on me the other day-weeks and weeks after the appearance of the book, which I should suppose him likely to have heard of, so far at any rate as his own share in it is concerned, meanwhile: and I could not perceive the very smallest trace in him of any uncomfortable feeling.

As to alliteration, I did not mean to be “hard upon” it-but on the contrary to affirm that it is a natural, legitimate, and effective expedient of a master of his writing-tools for showing that he is a master of them. But I said, and cannot but stick to it, that Swinburne alliterates too often.

With all greetings,

Yours very tuly,

W. M. Rossetti

Publication: Selected Letters of William Michael Rossetti, ed. Roger W. Peattie (University Park, Penn., 1990), pp. 169-170.

Manuscript: The Brotherton Collection, University of Leeds.

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