received that was often in my thoughts.[1] I forget your version (it
was not _yours_, my _'yours' then_; I mean I had no extraordinary
interest about it), but the original makes Prometheus (telling over
his bestowments towards human happiness) say, as something [Greek:
peraiterô tônde], that he stopped mortals [Greek: mê proderkesthai
moron--to poion eurôn], asks the Chorus, [Greek: têsde pharmakon
nosou]? Whereto he replies, [Greek: tuphlas en autois elpidas
katôkisa] (what you hear men dissertate upon by the hour, as proving
the immortality of the soul apart from revelation, undying yearnings,
restless longings, instinctive desires which, unless to be eventually
indulged, it were cruel to plant in us, &c. &c.). But, [Greek: meg'
ôphelêma tout' edôrêsô brotois]! concludes the chorus, like a sigh
from the admitted Eleusinian Æschylus was! You cannot think how this
foolish circumstance struck me this evening, so I thought I would e'en
tell you at once and be done with it. Are you not my dear friend
already, and shall I not use you? And pray you not to 'lean out of the
window' when my own foot is only on the stair; do wait a little for

Yours _ever_,

R.B.

[Footnote 1: The following is the version of the passage in Mrs.
Browning's later translation of the 'Prometheus' (II. 247-251 of the
original):

_Prom._ I did restrain besides
My mortals from premeditating death.

_Cho._ How didst thou medicine the plague-fear of death?