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Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Charles Sumner, 19 July 1849
Manuscript letter
Portland. July 19th 1849.
Many thanks for your kind note, which I believe Henry has acknowledged although I have not. We have been deep in ‘Lady Alice’, & even Curzon has been neglected for it. It has a more vigorous & natural tone of sentiment than Lamartine, without his grace of style, & has many graphic pictures of English life at home & abroad-, is very interesting, & very improbable & intensely Puseyistical, but a love story always has charms for us, & has pleasantly occupied some of our quiet days here. One cannot help feeling the beauty of some of Lamartine's rhapsodies, & being thrilled by his [p. 2] plaintive melodies, so like those of an Eolian harp, but, also like those, they are depressing & enervating, and even his religious emotion is to me too much mere emotion – not a self-controlling power. I only speak, of course, of the impression of his writings. He has shown himself manly and trustworthy in action. But it was not of him I wished to write. I have finished here your Address, and I wanted to tell you what joy and hope it has given me, what a sisterly pride I take in the author of words so strong in truth & wisdom. “Truth is mighty” - this thought has been with me ever as I read, & also the feeling how feeble are bayonets & even serried ranks of men, armed with the strongest gifts of earth, & marshalled by human intelligence, beside this overwhelming force of well-arrayed, thoroughly disciplined truths - words I should say, [p. 3] which win every outpost by a coup de main & occupy the citadel before we have thought of resistance - - And even if thought of, in time, how useless, but I wont continue my analogy – only to say that you, perhaps unconsciously, seem to have met your foe with his own weapons, - & to have conducted your whole discourse with the judgement & energy so often wasted on fields of blood. Hereafter we shall have fields of ink only glorious, for the “pen is mightier than the sword.”
Poor Rome! I watch her fate with intense interest. I wonder the nations do not remonstrate as protectors of antiquity and art. They might, for the relics that belong to all, & say – “Rome belongs to Christendom; no one nation has a right to injure her. Let it be considered parricide.” If they could be got to acknowledge that paternity - a still holier one might follow.
Henry’s father has had no perceptible [p. 4] change since we came, for better or worse. He lies tranquil, uncomplaining silent & motionless, untroubled by pain or care, slowly drifting to the great sea of Life which encircles all full of years & honor, comforted by the presence of all his children – can we wish for more? “He loves him not who would upon the rack of this rough world – stretch him out longer” –
Still he remains so unchanging he may rally – but I hardly think it probable. Of course we remain here for an indefinite time. I wish you would let Felton know how we are, that through him Bridget & Mrs Paten may hear. Henry says, over my shoulder – “Tell him to come down here.” This is a well kept hotel & the southern breeze coming from the sea we have cooler days than you possibly can. The Transcript arrived & the French paper – mille remerciens - Poor Cora Shaw! what a shadow has fallen upon her sunny life. My love to Mrs Follen if you see her again. I shall not soon forget your kind & fraternal protection. [p. 1 cross] May the summer bring cheerful & happy thoughts – not only [for] others but for yourself. Henry’s love
ever yrs affly
Fanny E.L.
I forgot to say it was not the ‘Confidences’ I criticized.
Many thanks for your kind note, which I believe Henry has acknowledged although I have not. We have been deep in ‘Lady Alice’, & even Curzon has been neglected for it. It has a more vigorous & natural tone of sentiment than Lamartine, without his grace of style, & has many graphic pictures of English life at home & abroad-, is very interesting, & very improbable & intensely Puseyistical, but a love story always has charms for us, & has pleasantly occupied some of our quiet days here. One cannot help feeling the beauty of some of Lamartine's rhapsodies, & being thrilled by his [p. 2] plaintive melodies, so like those of an Eolian harp, but, also like those, they are depressing & enervating, and even his religious emotion is to me too much mere emotion – not a self-controlling power. I only speak, of course, of the impression of his writings. He has shown himself manly and trustworthy in action. But it was not of him I wished to write. I have finished here your Address, and I wanted to tell you what joy and hope it has given me, what a sisterly pride I take in the author of words so strong in truth & wisdom. “Truth is mighty” - this thought has been with me ever as I read, & also the feeling how feeble are bayonets & even serried ranks of men, armed with the strongest gifts of earth, & marshalled by human intelligence, beside this overwhelming force of well-arrayed, thoroughly disciplined truths - words I should say, [p. 3] which win every outpost by a coup de main & occupy the citadel before we have thought of resistance - - And even if thought of, in time, how useless, but I wont continue my analogy – only to say that you, perhaps unconsciously, seem to have met your foe with his own weapons, - & to have conducted your whole discourse with the judgement & energy so often wasted on fields of blood. Hereafter we shall have fields of ink only glorious, for the “pen is mightier than the sword.”
Poor Rome! I watch her fate with intense interest. I wonder the nations do not remonstrate as protectors of antiquity and art. They might, for the relics that belong to all, & say – “Rome belongs to Christendom; no one nation has a right to injure her. Let it be considered parricide.” If they could be got to acknowledge that paternity - a still holier one might follow.
Henry’s father has had no perceptible [p. 4] change since we came, for better or worse. He lies tranquil, uncomplaining silent & motionless, untroubled by pain or care, slowly drifting to the great sea of Life which encircles all full of years & honor, comforted by the presence of all his children – can we wish for more? “He loves him not who would upon the rack of this rough world – stretch him out longer” –
Still he remains so unchanging he may rally – but I hardly think it probable. Of course we remain here for an indefinite time. I wish you would let Felton know how we are, that through him Bridget & Mrs Paten may hear. Henry says, over my shoulder – “Tell him to come down here.” This is a well kept hotel & the southern breeze coming from the sea we have cooler days than you possibly can. The Transcript arrived & the French paper – mille remerciens - Poor Cora Shaw! what a shadow has fallen upon her sunny life. My love to Mrs Follen if you see her again. I shall not soon forget your kind & fraternal protection. [p. 1 cross] May the summer bring cheerful & happy thoughts – not only [for] others but for yourself. Henry’s love
ever yrs affly
Fanny E.L.
I forgot to say it was not the ‘Confidences’ I criticized.
Archives Number: 1011/002.001-019#013
U. S. National Park Service
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Correspondence (1011/002), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1849 (1011/002.001-019), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1849 (1011/002.001-019), (LONG-FileUnitName)
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Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Code: LONG
Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
NPS Museum Number Catalog : LONG 20257
Title: Finding Aid to the Frances Elizabeth Appleton Longfellow (1817-1861) Papers, 1825-1961 (bulk dated: 1832-1861)
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#FEAL
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#FEAL
2016-01-30
07/19/1849
Manuscript letter in Frances Appleton Longfellow Papers, Series II. Correspondence, A. Outgoing, 1849. (1011/002.001-019#013)
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Organization: Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
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Wednesday, November 9, 2022 5:59:28 PM
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