Henry Crabb Robinson, Dover Street, [London, Edward Moxon’s office], to Mary Wordsworth, [no address], 2 September 1837.

N.B. It is dangerous to attempt reporting the feelings of others – I do think it a very pleasing portrait – but it has one great fault And unhappily the original is exposed to the same reproach  She is no longer at all interesting And if she goes on as she does, she will soon be vulgarly healthy – no charming languor – no affecting paleness – nor any thing to prompt to pretty speeches or elaborate expression of sympathy – You will be ashamed [of] her, if she do not take care, when she returns –

                                             H. C. R.

I ought to add that Mr W: is about to write a few lines to dear Mrs Clarkson And I shall then make a regular letter of it – I hear from the late Miss Maling – Now the happy wife of a young Gentleman under 30 – Miss M: is several years older than your adopted Son, so the difference cannot be very great you know – Mrs Wimbridge has heard from Mrs Clarkson And thinks that both Mr & Mrs Cl: will in their grandchild and daughter in law (also niece you know) find objects of so great interest as to ^be^ substantially consoled – Mrs Cl: has written an admirable letter says Mr W. now no one who is in despair or in danger of sinking under sorrow writes admirably –

     My kindest regards to dear Miss W: I have read her letter to Mrs Cge: with surprise & pleasure.

Text: WLL, Wordsworth, W and D/7/535.1, Wordsworth Trust and Museum, Grasmere. From Robinson’s diary, 2 September 1837: ‘I had engaged to call on Wordsworth at Moxon’s and was there by 11. He approves of my going to Hereford and I am to order places for Friday – I then made calls westward.’  After his entry on 3 September, he adds this addendum to 2 September:  ‘(2nd) I forgot to say that on Saturday I wrote two letters one to my brother informing him that I had not been able to make any use of his money – The other to Mrs Clarkson to which W: wrote an ante-script – I wrote a few words of consolation and I gave a rather favourable account of Mrs Wimbridge.’ Robinson does not mention adding the above note to Wordsworth’s letter to his wife and daughter.