Part 2

You have now the whole history of my doubts and difficulties; as I have reported them very faithfully in obedience to your desire. The obedience was at least a proof of my confidence in your kindness; and in that light I hope you will consider it; for I have run a great risk in passing such an _Ægæan_ in such a _scaphula_. My _general_ debt of information, to you, is put down among those singular debts which are pleasant to think of, and which the debtor can never be expected to repay, but I must be allowed to thank you in particular for that _percussion vers le fin_ you give the _Abbate Scopha_. It is extremely forcible and entertaining,—and presents an example of your peculiar manner of amusing your readers—by _convincing_ them. You have indeed made it abundantly clear that the Abbate for his system’s credit should have been _muet_ as his French _e_. But, tho’ I have put off making the charge so long, my poetical conscience wont let me rest till I accuse you of committing heinous profanation in page 48; first by quoting _Wīll ŏ thĕ Wīsp_ contemptuously as “a little phrase,” and secondly by introducing it to your readers in such company as _Jāck ĭn ă bōx´_ | _Mōuse ĭn ă chēese´_, Būg ĭn ă rūg´, &c. And should you really feel “some regret” if it became the fashion to say _Wĭll ō thĕ Wĭsp_—Bŭg īn ă rūg &c.? Our poets, from Milton upwards and downwards, who have sanctified the first of those “little phrases” in their melodious verses, would sympathize feelingly in your regret; and might beg you at the same time to disengage Will o’ the wisp from Bug in a rug forthwith. Could not rīddle mĕ rēe do your business as well, without sacrificing such an Iphigenia?

I have done reading your correspondence with Mr. Commeline; and with all your adversary’s ingenuity, am considerably confirmed in my convictions on your side. I thought it odd that an article of the Edinburgh Review should be referred to, on a philological subject; and, on looking into the one which Mr. Commeline calls the ‘Manual of his heresy,’ I was surprised to find us accused there of subverting the true metrical structure of Latin hexameters, even according to the accentual system “by _not_ laying our accent on the _long_ syllable, and by laying it on the short ones.” The Reviewer seems confused in his speculations: but that passage is so decidedly in favour of your position that I think you can hardly have seen the article or would have retorted Mr. Commeline’s own _Manual_ on himself.

Papa was very glad to see you at Hereford, and _I_ was very glad to hear from him, _nomine mutato_, exactly what you have since said of _his_ good looks. We hope to have favorable accounts of you all; dear Miss Price in particular, and, with our best regards,

Believe me Your grateful E. B. BARRETT.[1]

Footnote 1:

Mrs. Browning’s name was Elizabeth Barrett Barrett before her marriage.

_Of this letter twenty-five copies only have been privately printed by Clement Shorter for distribution among his friends._

_London. December 1916._

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES

Page Changed from Changed to

4 in English. You will, I think, admit in English. You will, I think, admit c̄harătĕrīze—tēmpĕrămēnt—tēmpĕrăture,—if chārăctĕrīze—tēmpĕrămēnt—tēmpĕrăture,—if

5 tetrasyllables as tetrasyllables as ōvĕrfătīgue—ōvĕr-dĕlīght—cŏnquerŏr-like ōvĕrfătīgue—ōvĕr-dĕlīght—cōnquerŏr-like sex. Nēvĕrthĕlēss sex. Nēvĕrthĕlēss

6 Jumping hīgh aĭr thĕ shrūbs ŏf thĕ rōugh Jumping hīgh ŏ’er thĕ shrūbs ŏf thĕ grōund rōugh grōund

7 Shoots ĭnvīsĭble vīrtue ē’en tō thĕ dēep Shoots ĭnvīsĭble vīrtue ē’en tŏ thĕ dēep

9 Quinctillian “non est aliqua vox sine Quinctillian “non est aliqua vox sine acata.” But in Latin, according acuta.” But in Latin, according

9 Immōrtāli sunt natura proedita cesti Immōrtāli sunt natura proedita certe

9 Νικηὀαντες χερσιν ὑπερθυμους περ εοντας Νικησαντες χερσιν ὑπερθυμους περ εοντας

10 verbum putelier imperativi modi:—ut in verbum putetur imperativi modi:—ut in ea ea particula quæ est ergo particula quæ est ergo

10 analogous to that you mentioned to Mr. analogous to that you mentioned to Mr. Commeline, of θοαι and diu Commeline, of Θοαι and diu

11 Wĭsp—Bŭg īn ă rŭg &c.? Our poets, from Wĭsp—Bŭg īn ă rūg &c.? Our poets, from Milton upwards and downwards Milton upwards and downwards

● Fixed typos; non-standard spelling and dialect retained. ● Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.

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