HCR, 5 Essex Court, Temple, London, to William Pattisson, Esqr, Witham, Essex, 6 February 1815. 

[f. 144r]

5 Essex Cot Temple  6th Feby [18]15

My dear friends

      I fear I must have appear’d inattentive to you. And yet, tho’ I have not hitherto written to say how pleasing a recollection remains of my last visit, it is not that I have not strongly felt the pleasure of recollection. That visit has furnished another instance to repel Hannah’s Superstition that self-invited visits do not succeed. My last Witham visit was in no respect uncomfortable And the want of an entire sympathy in regard to the Poet & the Poem, only served to stimulate to a salutary exercise of reasoning and – forbearance. But since I left you, I have been entirely occupied by pursuits far less congenial with the tastes & feelings of us all. I have been attending very much to Law which is becoming my business. At the Norwich Sessions there was almost nothing (I approve of the phrase) to do. Storks earned an half, and myself a whole guinea But at Cambridge I had a respectable new client, & both there & at Bury the actual employment was adequate to the expences of the circuit, & promising as respects my prospects. I have had a tolerable portion of business this term And I obtained a victory ^last week^ in the King’s Bench on a point of no moment, but contested with warmth[.] In a word, my spirits do not yet flag.

       Since writing the above – which has lain by me these two days – I have been informed that it is now very probable that Best will leave the Circuit and even the profession. If this do take place, my chance of success will be greatly advanced – The retiremt from the bar of two Leaders at once will throw open all the current business to the pushing Juniors, of whom I am certainly one – Blosset will be the only regular leader – Freres hesitation of speech must keep him back – and I should think Storks will frequently lead  [f. 144v.] In this event, several of Stork’s seniors will be cut out And I shall have reasonable expectation of being his second – It is not unlikely that Storks will take the coif – Then he necessarily leaves me to a full share of the Sessions practice – With these prospects, I purpose now to go the whole circuit – And I will thank you to let this be known among your friends who have friends in Bedfordshire. An introduction in that county at this critical moment would be of incalculable importance – These changes, actual & expected give a new impulse to my zeal – But enough on so selfish a subject. I should hardly have dwelt so long on it, had I been furnished with any other, but a letter of mere chat is all in my power to write now – To day I received a letter from your friend Mr Fox of Chichester He had indirectly applied to me for information about German books. I wrote to offer him the use of mine And I mentioned my late reading of the Poem to Hannah. In return he speaks of Wordsworth in terms of praise so discriminating that a friend of W’s has taken the letter away to copy a part of it. I am satisfied with the progress the work is making. Half of the impression is already sold. You will be interested perhaps to hear that Montgomery is author of the Eclectic Article. This, Josiah Conder informed me, who is now the Editor of the Review. I am glad that Montgomery did write that review. It is pleasing to observe free & even exuberant eulogy from a rival, who might be sooner than another tempted to “damn with faint praise”  Hannah will further be amused by hearing that I have heard of Hogg the author of the Queen’s Wake. He has been visiting Wordsworth, who entertains great respect for his talents. Hogg is like Burns, a genuine peasant But he is prudent – With all his simplicity of character & habits; still a Scotchman in the main. He thinks Jeffery the greatest living writer – And the late Edinb: review [f. 145r] of his work appears to have been a return ^an exchange^ of eulogy Further I have to inform you, that I have seen a proof sheet of Wordsworths new edition of his Poems – It will be a very beautiful work as to it’s outward form & substance. He has condescend[ed] to adorn many of his poems, but has sturdily refused to exclude anyone.

       I hear from everyone so high a character of Southeys Don Roderic, that I think you may venture to buy it for the library your book-club: On the other hand, the Lord of the Isles is less talked of than I expected – The fact undoubtedly is, that Lord Byron has put Scott’s nose out of joint – And no wonder, for what is popularity, but a system of favoritism? Possibly Scott’s concealmt of himself, if he be really the author of Waverley, is a prudent policy. Wordsworth I hear is a great admirer of Waverly, And he ascribes it also to Scott.

     I know not whether you will be much amused by such literary small talk – Of personal anecdotes I have also to communicate to you, that Amyot is the father of a fourth daughter. I had a note from him the other day, without a stroke of humour or pleasantry – I suspect he is mortified at the sex –

      I have seen Mrs Thornthwaite twice And had a long set-to the other evening with Mr Howel at the back-gammon board – they were both very well. Mrs T. retains her spirits & activity unabatedly – What a rich dowry in advanced life!

       I ought not to forget to say, that the subscription for the Miss Normans amounts to £600 – My brother, Mr Tailor, Mr Ward & Mr Notcutt of Ipswich act as a committee in the application of the money. For the present, stock will be bought. And I believe it is yet undetermined whether annuities in the same one of the public offices shall [f. 145v] be purchased As whether a part of the Capital shall be annually withdrawn Perhaps as there are yet too subsisting lives, the latter would be the more advisable proceeding – The friends of the Miss Normans seem satisfied with the exertions made, but I do not mean that they have shut up the books.

      I hope to hear of you soon – The boys I have heard of from Mrs T. You will soon come to some determination concerning the conclusion of their education I shall be interested to know the result. My love to them when you write – I have been buying for them Miss Edgeworths Moral and Popular Tales which I shall send to Mr Howels to be forwarded to Witham with some other parcel, as perhaps with your usual precaution you may like to read them first. I would recommend Forrester and L’amie inconnue as very excellent; but I think the moral of both somewhat equivocal – However it is not the sort of doubtful moraly you will censure I have at last cramped myself so as to have hardly room to subscribe myself with &cs

       Affectionately yours

                         H. C. R.

Wedy [?]    

Address: W. Pattisson Esqr / Witham / Essex. Postmark: 9 February [1]815. 

Further notation in a different hand: 5 Essex Court, Temple, London / 6 February 1815. / Henry Crabb Robinson Esq.

Text: Bodleian Library, MS. Eng. Letters d. 111, fols 144-45.