Ever yours,

E.B.B.

You are right I see, nearly everywhere, if not quite everywhere in the criticisms—­but of course I have not looked very closely—­that is, I have read your papers but not in connection with a my side of the argument—­but I shall lose the post after all.

[Footnote 1:  Aeschylus, Prometheus II.:  ‘trick of loving men,’ see note 3, on p. 39 above.]

R.B. to E.B.B.

Saturday Morning,
[Post-mark, June 7, 1845.]

I ventured to hope this morning might bring me news of you—­First East-winds on you, then myself, then those criticisms!—­I do assure you I am properly apprehensive.  How are you?  May I go on Wednesday without too much [Greek:  anthadia].

Pray remember what I said and wrote, to the effect that my exceptions were, in almost every case, to the ’reading’—­not to your version of it:  but I have not specified the particular ones—­not written down the Greek, of my suggested translations—­have I?  And if you do not find them in the margin of your copy, how you must wonder!  Thus, in the last speech but one, of Hermes, I prefer Porson and Blomfield’s [Greek:  ei med’ atychon ti chala manion];—­to the old combinations that include [Greek:  eutyche]—­though there is no MS. authority for emendation, it seems.  But in what respect does Prometheus ’fare well,’ or ‘better’ even, since the beginning?  And is it not the old argument over again, that when a man fails he should repent of his ways?—­And while thinking of Hermes, let me say that ’[Greek:  mede moi diplas odous prosbales]’ is surely—­’Don’t subject me to the trouble of a second journey ... by paying no attention to the first.’  So says Scholiast A, and so backs him Scholiast B, especially created, it should appear, to show there could be in rerum natura such another as his predecessor.  A few other remarks occur to me, which I will tell you if you please; now, I really want to know how you are, and write for that.

Ever yours,

R.B.

R.B. to E.B.B.

[Post-mark, June 9, 1845.]

Just after my note left, yours came—­I will try so to answer it as to please you; and I begin by promising cheerfully to do all you bid me about naming days &c.  I do believe we are friends now and for ever.  There can be no reason, therefore, that I should cling tenaciously to any one or other time of meeting, as if, losing that, I lost everything—­and, for the future, I will provide against sudden engagements, outrageous weather &c., to your heart’s content.  Nor am I going to except against here and there a little wrong I could get up, as when you imply from my quick impulses and the like.  No, my dear friend—­for I seem sure I shall have quite, quite time enough to do myself justice in your eyes—­Let time show!