duro,’ meaning very loud (his Italian is not very much more correct, you know, than his other languages), and how Napoleon took off his hat to him directly.  I don’t see the English papers, but I conclude you are all furious.  You must make up your minds to it nevertheless—­the Empire is certain, and the feeling of all but unanimity (whatever the motive) throughout France obvious enough.  Smooth down the lion’s mane of the ‘Examiner,’ and hint that roaring over a desert is a vain thing.  As to Victor Hugo’s book, the very enemies of the present state of affairs object to it that he lies simply.  There is not enough truth in it for an invective to rest on, still less for an argument.  It’s an inarticulate cry of a bird of prey, wild and strong irrational, and not a book at all.  For my part I did wave my handkerchief for the new Emperor, but I bore the show very well, and said to myself, ’God bless the people!’ as the man who, to my apprehension, represents the democracy, went past.  A very intelligent Frenchman, caught in the crowd and forced to grope his way slowly along, told me that the expression of opinion everywhere was curiously the same, not a dissenting mutter did he hear.  Strange, strange, all this!  For the drama of history we must look to France, for startling situations, for the ‘points’ which thrill you to the bone....

May God bless you meantime!  Take care of yourself for the sake of us all who love you, none indeed more affectionately and gratefully than

R.B. and E.B.B.

FOOTNOTES: 

[1] The Holy Scriptures.

[2] Miss Haworth was a friend of Mr. Browning from very early days, and was commemorated by him in ‘Sordello’ under the name of ‘Eyebright’ (see Mrs. Orr’s Life, p. 86).  Her acquaintance with Mrs. Browning began with this visit to London, and ripened into a warm friendship.  One subject of interest which they had in common was mesmerism, with the attendant mysteries of spiritualism and Swedenborgianism; and references to these are frequent in Mrs. Browning’s letters to her.

[3] So spelt in the earlier letters, but subsequently modified to ‘Penini.’

[4] Miss Mitford had lately moved into her new home at Swallowfield, about three miles from the old cottage at Three Mile Cross, commemorated in ‘Our Village.’

[5] The article was by M. Joseph Milsand, and led to the formation of the warm friendship between him and Mr. Browning which lasted until the death of the former in 1886.

[6] The May edict restricted the franchise to electors who had resided three years in the same district.  In October Louis Napoleon proposed to repeal it, and the refusal of the Assembly no doubt strengthened his hold on the democracy.

[7] The coup d’etat took place in the early morning of December 2.

[8] The constitution of 1848.

[9] The point was rather whether they had the power.