Before leaving Florence, however, the following letter was written to Mr. Thackeray, which I quote from the same article by Mrs. Ritchie.  The poem alluded to must, however, be ’The North and the South,’[101] Mrs. Browning’s last poem, written with reference to Hans Andersen’s visit to Rome; not ‘A Musical Instrument,’ as Mrs. Ritchie suggests, which had been written some time previously.

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To W.M.  Thackeray

Rome, 126 Via Felice:  [May 21, 1861].

Dear Mr. Thackeray,—­I hope you received my note and last poem.  I hope still more earnestly that you won’t think I am putting my spite against your chastening hand into a presumptuous and troublesome fluency.

But Hans Christian Andersen is here, charming us all, and not least the children.  So I wrote these verses—­not for ‘Cornhill’ this month, of course—­though I send them now that they may lie over at your service (if you are so pleased) for some other month of the summer.

We go to Florence on the first of June, and lo! here is the twenty-first of May.

With love to dear Annie and Minny,

I remain, most truly yours,
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING.

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To Miss I. Blagden

Rome:  Saturday, [about May 1861].

Ever dearest Isa,—­Now that Robert’s letter is gone, I am able for shame to write.  His waiting did not mean a slackness of kindness, but a tightness of entanglement in other things; and then absolutely he has got to the point of doing without reading.  Nothing but clay does he care for, poor lost soul.  But you will see, I hope, from what he has written (to judge by what he speaks), that he is not so lost as to be untouched by Agnes.[102]...

I send you, dear, two more translations for Dall’ Ongaro.  You will have given him my former message.  I began that letter to him, and was interrupted; and then, considering the shortness of our time here, would not begin another.  You will have explained, and will make him thoroughly understand, that in sending him a verbal and literal translation I never thought of exacting such a thing from him, but simply of letting him have the advantage of seeing the raw, naked poetry as it stands.  In fact, my translation is scarcely Italian, I know very well.  I mean it for English rather.  Conventional and idiomatical Italian forms have been expressly avoided.  I have used the Italian as a net to catch the English in for the use of an Italian poet!  Let him understand.

We shall be soon in our Florence now.  I am rather stronger, but so weak still that my eyes dazzle to think of it.  Povera me!