The Brownings' Correspondence, Volume 32

Volume 32 opens in September 1865 with RB and his family still on their summer holiday at Ste. Marie, Brittany. On 12 June 1866, RB receives word from Paris that his father is gravely ill. He arrives in time to spend 24 hours with him, before his death on 14 June 1866. That same month, RB’s growing discontent with his publisher, Frederic Chapman, of Chapman & Hall, leads him to tell Isa Blagden of his intention to “dissolve” the “connection” (letter 5776). The following year, he indicates his preference for the publishing firm of Smith, Elder & Co. (see letter 5897). In October 1866, RB’s great French friend, Joseph Milsand, makes the first of 18 annual visits to RB’s London home at 19 Warwick Crescent. During his month-long stay with the Brownings, he writes to his brother, Philibert, of RB and his family’s kindness (see SD2842). RB, Pen, and Sarianna spend the summers of 1866 and 1867 at Le Croisic, Brittany. RB gathers material he will use in The Two Poets of Croisic (1878) and composes “Hervé Riel” (1871). In March 1867, the degree of M.A. is conferred on RB by Oxford University, and he is made an Honorary Fellow of Balliol College in October. Meanwhile, Pen continues his classical studies in preparation for entering Balliol. At the time of the M.A. conferment, Pen visits Oxford to give Benjamin Jowett (Regius Professor of Greek) an opportunity to evaluate his competence in Greek and Latin. Pen is found to be “far behind” his peers in Greek, and Jowett counsels that the matriculation exam be delayed until Christmas (letter 5887). But in December, the professor again advises delay, until the “Easter Term” 1868 (letter 5991). In late February of that year, volume one of RB’s Poetical Works (6 vols., 1868) is issued by his new publisher, Smith, Elder & Co.; succeeding volumes appear one per month.