Henry Crabb Robinson, 3 K[ing’s] B[ench] Walk, Temple, to Thomas Carlyle, Edinburgh, 15-16 May 1826. 

15th May

Dear Sir

       Your letter came at a most unfortunate moment when I was both perplexed by some unusual professional business which left me no leisure And when I was suffering under a complaint in my Schreibfinger or I should not have delayed so long answering your letter, that I fear I can now be of no use to you. I cannot say that I did not read your letter, but I read it rapidly – lost sight of it for a fortnight – but it lay on my conscience. Today I have been reading it more attentively – I sent instantly to Bohte, found that the books you wanted were to be had And then called on Mr Tait and proposed his sending them but he tells me that he very lately forwarded you from Germany a large packet of books And in the full belief that you are now supplied with what you want thinks it unadviseable to forward you any more –

      I am desirous still if possible to make some atonement for my inattention And as my Surgeon has taken off the embargo from my pen (Or rather I do it at the risque of the penalty of some days further continuance of poultice) I will send you the information you ask for respecting Müller & Hoffman – This I can give you, having lately bought that much despised but most popular And for manufacturers of books highly useful work The Conversazions Lexicon – This book I would advise every publisher to procure for it contains a mass of information on all popular subjects It is the most valuable crib that I ever saw – And tho’ of the very lowest description & compiled for the very lowest class of readers, executed occasionally with real talent & skill And always in a workmanlike way – There are ^to be^ abot 16 thick 12 mo vols: printed in several kinds of paper And with the Appendix or Supplement in the cheapest edition costs at Leipzick by Brockhaus about 16 Thaler – The 6th Edit ^10 vols^ was published in 1824 – The Supplement is going on –

        From this book I abridge

Müller – Friedrick known by the appellation of painter M— was is distinguished as painter engraver & poet Born at Kreuznach in 1750. Was formerly in the Service of the Duke of Deuxponts And published from his 18th year several collections of etchings. They were represented pastoral scenes in the cattle &c in the manner [f. 43v] of the Netherland painters and were favorably received  In 1776 he went to Rome And devoted himself peculiarly to the study of Michael Angelo But the wild & romantic style into which he pursued met with little applause His merits as a paint poet were greater tho’ they were not appreciated at first as they merited. At a period when German poetry was little more than versified prose he appeared stept forth with the mighty spirits which regenerated our literature, with Göthe Bürger Herder Stolberg Heinse Klinger with whom he was connected – His poems published bet 1770-80 came too soon nor was it till his works were published in 1811 that he was duly appreciated.  Among his Idyls are some of great excellence but his masterpieces are Niobe, Faust, Genoveva – Poems which manifest creative power tho’ wild & misshapen, & assert their right to distinction by the side of the works of Gothe & Tieck – he lives at Rome And is chiefly occupied in making strangers acquainted with works the works of art there. 

            Hoffman Ernest Theodore William was born at Königsberg 1778 – Studied Jurisprudence at that University, had successively appointments under the governt at Grosglogau and Berlin, in 1800 at Posen, in 1802 at Plotzk and went in 1803 to Warsaw.  The invasion of the French in 1806 put an end to his career. Without fortune or any profession prospects in his own country he had recourse to his musical talents which before had been his recreation. In 1808 he became musical director of the newly erected theatre at Bamburg, but which was soon closed. Then he gave lessons in musick and wrote for the Leipzick musical Gazette  In 1813 he repaired to Dresden where he became Director of the a musical Society there, & remained during that disturbed period at Dresden till 1815 when he succeeded in obtaining an appointmt in his own country – he was established at Berlin in 1816  It was as editor of the Musical Gazette that he was led to literary works works of an became an author in the publication of ^Some of the smaller articles in that work were published under the title of^ Phantasiestücke in the manner of Callot – A new edition in 2 vols 8 vo: 1819 Among his later works are to be distinguished Die Elixiere des Teufels 1816 perhaps the best of his larger works -- ^These were succeeded by^ Die Nachtstücke followed by Die Serapionsbrüder 23 tales [f. 44r] in 4 vols: -- Die Prinzessin Brambilla a Capriccio after Jacob Callot – Klein Zachs genannt Zinnober – Meister Floh – Lebensansichten des Kater Murr &c 1820 & 1821.  Die Doppelgänger in the second volume of Biedenfeld & Kuffner’s Feierstunde terminates ^the last of^ his works ^published by himself^ -- Besides these, ^in an appendix to^ a an interesting work “Aus Hoffmanns Leben und Nachlass” 1823 – two parts in an appendix are two tales – Des Vetters Eckfenster and Die Genesung – Meister Wacht a picture of the life the author led in Bamberg appeared in a collection of tales by Steffens v. der Hagen & Hoffman. He died while engaged in writing Der Feind And the four last works acquire a peculiar interest from being written amid the agonies sufferings of approaching death The biographical work given gives with condensed power & effect interesting details of his irregular life & very remarkable death The victim of wild passion & consumed by more than one consuming flame he died like a man full of energy & power his last moments manifested more ^<–>^ than all his works the imperishable stamina of a mighty & richly endowed mind – In the lives of strong characters Stoicism & Empiricism are seen to blend and harmonise  His orgies were sufficiently known but he did not celebrate them without the presence of that Dionysius to whom the Greeks raised temples as the God of divine intoxication (seliger Geistes trunkenheit)  So it was that Hoffman could combine the intense labours of the day in his judicial office with the most lavish excesses of the night  His works resemble his life, for ^in^ them we have the tumultuous char lyrical character He termed his Phantasiestücken the fulgurations of Enthusiasm And in his subsequent works he labourd rather to represent ^rather^ himself than the world without him His favorite dearest inventions are self enjoyment, a rioting in intellectual egoism.  Yet a high originality cant be ascribed to him – he follows Jean Paul too closely for an independent mind.

___________

This is the smaller part of a critique which becomes metaphysical & mystical – if it furnishes you with a sentence or two I shall be satisfied

       [f. 44v] I envy you your literary pursuits which detain you in the contemplation of mind in its most fascinating productions – Compared with such occupations mine are ignoble – but they are not in unsuited to me And while I am not <–> disabled for occasional enjoyment – taking glimpses of a world in which I am an alien, I will not complain –

        You certainly tho’ at a distance from London need not fear that any thing really deserving your attention is left on the road – Some good novels seem to constitute all the respectable literature of the day – The few great men among us are silent – Of Germany, I know next to nothing – Gothe I hear is very busy in bringing out a new edition of his works in which there will be much that is new

                                     very truly yours

                                                H. C. Robinson

16 May 1826

3 K B Walk Temple

NB  I hope you will be able to read what I have scarcely been able to write

Address: Thos Carlyle Esqr / To the care of / Mr <–> / 78 Prince Street /Edinburgh.  [marked ‘turn over’ and a new address]: Thomas Carlyle Esqr / Hadham Hall / Ecclefechan.  Postmark: May [?] 18[?] [May 19 1826]. Endorsed: W [sic] C Robinson / 15 May 1826

Text: National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Letters to Thomas Carlyle, 1824-32, MS. 1765, fols 43-44.