Elizabeth Barrett Browning
From a Photograph of a Marble Bust
THE LETTERS
OF
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING
EDITED WITH BIOGRAPHICAL ADDITIONS
BY
FREDERIC G. KENYON
WITH PORTRAITS
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOLUME I.
THIRD EDITION
LONDON
SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 WATERLOO PLACE
1898
PREFACE
The writer of any narrative of Mrs. Browning's life, or theeditor of a collection of her letters, is met at the outset ofhis task by the knowledge that both Mrs. Browning herselfand her husband more than, once expressed their strongdislike of any such publicity in regard to matters of apersonal and private character affecting themselves. Thefact that expressions to this effect are publicly extant is onewhich has to be faced or evaded; but if it could not befairly faced, and the apparent difficulty removed, the presentvolumes would never have seen the light. It would be apoor qualification for the task of preparing a record of Mrs.Browning's life, to be willing therein to do violence to herown expressed wishes and those of her husband. But theexpressions to which reference has been made are limited,either formally or by implication, to publications madeduring their own lifetime. They shrank, as any sensitiveperson must shrink, from seeing their private lives, theirpersonal characteristics, above all, their sorrows andbereavements, offered to the inspection and criticism of thegeneral public; and it was to such publications that theirprotests referred. They could not but be aware that thedetails of their lives would be of interest to the public whichread and admired their works, and there is evidence thatthey recognised that the public has some claims with regardto writers who have appealed to, and partly lived by, itsfavour. They only claimed that during their own lifetimetheir feelings should be consulted first; when they shouldhave passed away, the rights of the public would begin.
It is in this spirit that the following collection of Mrs.Browning's letters has now been prepared, in the convictionthat the lovers of English literature will be glad to make acloser and more intimate acquaintance with one—or, it maytruthfully be said, with two—of the most interesting literarycharacters of the Victorian age. It is a selection from alarge mass of letters, written at all periods in Mrs. Browning'slife, which Mr. Browning, after his wife's death, reclaimedfrom the friends to whom they had been written, orfrom their representatives. No doubt, Mr. Browning's primaryobject was to prevent publications which would have beenexcessively distressing to his feelings; but the letters, whenonce thus collected, were not destroyed (as was the casewith many of his own letters), but carefully preserved, andso passed into the possession of his son, Mr. R. BarrettBrowning, with whose consent they are now published. Inthis collection are comprised the letters to Miss Browning(the poet's sister, whose consent has also been freely givento the publication), Mr. H.S. Boyd, Mrs. Martin, MissMitford, Mrs. Jameson, Mr. John Kenyon, Mr. Chorley,Miss Blagden, Miss Haworth, and Miss Thomson (MadameEmil Braun).[1] To these have been added a number ofletters which have been kindl