Beyond the Brownings–Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)

Arnold at ABLexhibitCourtesy of the Armstrong Browning Library

Written by Melinda Creech, Graduate Assistant, Armstrong Browning Library

Matthew Arnold, a poet and cultural critic, was employed as Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools. He is best remembered for his critical essays, Essays in Criticism (1865) and Culture and Anarchy (1869), and his poems, particularly “Lines From the Grand Chartreuse” and “Dover Beach.”

The Armstrong Browning Library has a large collection of Matthew Arnold materials, which includes fifty-seven letters and over 130 books, many rare editions. Arnold was a friend and correspondent of Robert Browning.

Arnold-June-10-1webArnold-June-10-2webLetter from Matthew Arnold to Frank Preston Stearns. 10 June 1886.

This unpublished letter outlines Arnold’s travel plans in America.

 … tomorrow I go to Washington, & shall be going from there to Buffalo, Niagara and Canada.

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Letter from Matthew Arnold to Lady Portsmouth. 9 July [1851].

This letter to Lady Portsmouth, daughter of the Third Earl of Carnarvon, who resided at Highclere Castle, accompanied Arnold’s gift to her children.

I remember you told me last year that some of your children liked “The Forsaken Merman.” I give myself the pleasure of sending you, for their benefit, what I think is rather a pretty volume, just published, containing that poem with others of mine.

 The Strayed Reveler, a collection of Arnold’s poems, was the volume that contained “The Forsaken Merman”:

Forsaken-Merman-6web

Forsaken-Merman-7web

Forsaken-Merman-8Forsaken-Merman-1webForsaken-Merman-2webForsaken-Merman-3webForsaken-Merman-4webForsaken-Merman-5webArnold, Matthew. The Strayed Reveller, and Other Poems. London: B. Fellowes, 1849.

This is a very rare book. Virtually the entire edition was withdrawn and destroyed. This book was a gift from James Payn, an editor and novelist in the nineteenth century, to L. S. Hammond.

Arnold-January-9,-1868web Letter from Matthew Arnold to James Holden. 9 January 1868.

Arnold belittles his own recently published volume of poems.

 It is not worth while expending your envelope on such a trifling piece of information as that I published about five months ago, with Messrs Macmillan, a volume of Poems bearing the title of New Poems.

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Arnold-to-Cox-2web

Arnold, Matthew. New Poems. London: Macmillan and Co, 1867.

This volume, to which Arnold refers in the accompanying letter, is a first edition from the library of Charles Kingsley. Tipped into the volume is a letter from Matthew Arnold to Keningale Cook, 26 March 1886. In the letter Arnold discusses his upcoming trip to America and his subsequent inability to review Dr. Cook’s book.

Arnold-to-Cox-1web Letter from Matthew Arnold to Keningale Cook. 26 March 1886.

…. I have been abroad to make some enquiries for the Government about schools, and have only just had your letter on my return. I am so busy with my report, and a projected visit to America that there is no chance of my being able to review your book…

Browning at Downton Abbey: The Rest of the Story

As the new season of Downton Abbey begins, I thought I should bring you up to date on the discoveries that have resulted from my investigation into Robert Browning’s visits at Highclere Castle.

My curiosity about Browning at Downton Abbey led me to begin a correspondence with David Rymill, archivist for both the Hampshire Record Office and the Highclere Estate. Mr. Rymill’s research revealed that there were three previously unrecorded Browning letters among the Earl of Portsmouth’s archives, a carte de visite of Browning in an album of photographs from Highclere Castle, and four signatures of Robert Browning in the Castle’s guest books.

Among the three letters from Robert Browning are two letters to Lady Portsmouth, Lady Eveline Alicia Juliana Herbert, first daughter of Henry John George [Herbert], 3rd Earl of Carnarvon. She married Isaac Newton Fellowes Wallop, 5th Earl of Portsmouth and became Lady Portsmouth.The other letter is to her daughter, Lady Catherine Henrietta Wallop, who married the Right Honorable Charles George Milnes-Gaskell.

These letters, which are part of the Wallop Papers in the Hampshire Record Office, were provided by the Earl of Portsmouth through David Rymill.

Robert Browning to Lady Portsmouth, 14 May 1877

Courtesy of the Earl of Portsmouth

Robert Browning to Lady Portsmouth, 14 January, 1870

Courtesy of the Earl of Portsmouth

Robert Browning to Lady Catherine, 26 May, 1887

Courtesy of the Earl of Portsmouth

Lord Carnarvon gave permission for Mr. Rymill to send the Armstrong Browning Library scans of Robert Browning’s signatures in the Highclere Castle guestbooks. These occur on December 13, 1869, November 16th and 21st of 1873 and March 10, 1878. This discovery has already helped scholars more accurately date Robert Browning’s chronology.

Highclere Castle Guestbook, 13 December 1869

Courtesy of the Earl of Carnavon, Highclere Castle Archives

Highclere Castle Guestbook, 16 November 1873

Courtesy of the Earl of Carnavon, Highclere Castle Archives

Highclere Castle Guestbook, 21 November 1873

Courtesy of the Earl of Carnavon, Highclere Castle Archives

Highclere Castle Guestbook, 10 March 1878

Courtesy of the Earl of Carnavon, Highclere Castle Archives

A signed photograph of Robert Browning  was also discovered in an album among the castle archives, and a scan was graciously forwarded to the ABL from Lord Carnarvon.

Courtesy of the Earl of Carnavon, Highclere Castle Archives

 I would like to express my sincere thanks to David Rymill. On December 2, Cynthia Burgess, Librarian/Curator of Books and Printed Materials at the Armstrong Browning Library, and Pattie Orr, Vice-President of Information Technology and Dean of University Libraries, Baylor University, were joined by Mr. Rymill as they attended a ceremony at the grave of Robert Browning in Westminster Abbey, commemorating his death on December 12, 1889, one hundred and twenty-four years ago.

Who knows what connections the new season might bring to light?

Melinda Creech

 Notes and Queries:

Can anyone add additional information about the signatures in the guestbooks or the other photographs on the album page?