16 February 1827. Price, Uvedale to Browning, Elizabeth Barrett.

              Foxley

Febry 16th 1827

Dear Ba

In the course of a few days you will probably receive a MS, of some length, with which you have been threaten’d ever since you were at Foxley: tho’ it often refers, & with a constant connection, to what precedes, it is in some measure a detached part of the subject; so that like Homer (who would have thought of such a likeness?) I am hurrying you,

in me dias res

Non secus ac notas.

Some part, however, of what is preparatory you looked over when you were here; & may remember a paper on the Ictus Metricus, & another on Elisions. What I now send, will, I believe, be of no little use in explaining the cause of a delusion which has given rise to the notion that the rhythm of greek & latin verses is improved by the accentual pronunciation, however the metre may be injured: this is a point of great consequence, which I have endeavoured to prove in the most convincing manner: you will find a good deal of it—perhaps necessarily—somewhat dry & minute: but will not mind it, if you can extract any pith & marrow: I may, perhaps, introduce a few remarks on the Charter-house pronunciation. I am persuaded, that, according to your impression, Dr Russel kept a dos a dos position with regard to my MS; for I am well persuaded that after their first interview, they never were vis a vis l’un de l’autre. In many disputable cases, the two parties may approach by mutual explanations & concessions, but between us there can be no compromise: the two modes of pronouncing, & the principles on which they are founded are so irreconcilably opposed to each other, that nothing is left but total adoption, or total rejection: he has rejected mine, & I, most certainly shall not adopt his. Our system is throughout at variance with the rules of prosody & of common sense: he has left the great mass of false quantities, which so