Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Elizabeth Reid, Citta die Pieve per Perugia, Italy, 6 June 1845.  

6th June 1845

30 Russell Square

London

My dear Madam –

       Miss Sturch read to me yesterday a passage from one of your late letters in which, after a civil word on occasion of a little bit of writing in one of your Sisters, you expressed a wish that I would write you a whole letter And therein give you an account of things in general & especially of politics here – On which I exclaimed “I will do no such thing – She has no right to care or think about politics or any other English matter while in Italy” – And in all seriousness I have acted on this idea on all my journies While in France I would read none but French novels & French politics – The only two branc[h]es of literature in France that I care for And so in Germany & Italy – But I found it hard to adhere to the rule And I feel disposed therefore to relax in your favour – As a few lines will suffice to give you the quintessence of what has been going on – But I must first dispatch a little matter – I cannot call it – business – properly either to you or me And yet it is a something to be done And with an object – I had yesterday a letter from Mrs Aders who is now at Florence And in it stands the following words, being all on the subject – “A friend of yours a Mrs Reid is at Rome & says you promised her a letter to me. – Some ladies, who are three friends of mine also, have promised her one” – Now I perfectly well recollect having told you all about Mrs A. long before you had formed your own plan of travelling to Italy – And you went away at last without my seeing you – Whether I should have renewed the mention of Mrs A. on your going had I seen you at last is doubtful – The truth is that I might have had some scruples, knowing as I do the extreme kindness & benevolence of your nature – Were any one to remark on this; That that would have been a reason rather for speaking than for silence, I really do not know what good truly I should have – Except that it is precisely towards persons remarkable for their generosity that I am apprehensive of doing any act that might seem to be like entertaining some expectation or hope founded upon it – I will now tell you the last news of Mrs A. Her friends having agreed to raise among them a small annuity for her And Mr A’s relations doing the same, the united amounts (abot 3180 Sterling) just would just suffice to enable them to live in Italy in retirement & with a renunciation of all expensive pleasure, if they were both in the enjoyment of health – Unhappily this is not the case – Mr A. is infirm so that tho’ she is able to devote herself to her occupation that of copying pictures by the old masters – Yet this  infirmity occasions her a considerable extra expence – And she has so many rivals in this occupation of copyist, that my expectation of her deriving a considerable addition to her income has been rather disappointed –Yet she wrote to a common friend that last year she earned £30 by copying two pictures, by means of which she made ends meet And in her late letter she wrote me word that she had reced two orders & hoped for more and was in high spirits in consequences – Indeed she is by nature hopeful, as well as trustful & generous, dangerous virtues at the best which tho’ they add a grace to other virtues, are oftentimes a source of greater evil to the possessor than positively bad qualities – “But this is sad preaching And I did not want anything of the sort” – That is true And I beg your pardon – To conclude – I will fill up one of the flaps in a note to Mrs A. which you will deliver or not as you please – By the bye, I was led unintentionally to tell your hus Sister Mrs A[']s history, which she heard & remarked ^upon^ in the kindest & most liberal spirit imaginable – Indeed, if it were lawful & safe to make comparisons between Sisters – I should say – That you are of the two the most of a prude which considering your respective stations in life is rather singular – What must you have been by nature then?  Your sister has a notion that you do not mean to go to Florence at all – But I have said This is impossible – You would be cut by all people of taste on your return – I find too that you think of making a long stay at Sienna – This I should certainly not advise – One of the most delightful spots I know are the Baths of Lucca, but perhaps the valley is not sufftly ventilated in the hot season – Enquire about this – Also enquire about taking a lodging near the convent of Val Ombrosa – I shod have guessed that Massa & Carrara on the West coast wod have afforded a better retreat than any other – All these are objects of enquiry[.] Society is so much more importt than anything else that I would advise nothing in opposition to the arrangements of any intelligent companions – As you have seen already Venice I cannot recommend you to go the East side of the peninsula merely for the sake of Loretto & Ravena tho’ well worth seeing. But I shod hope that you will not omit seeing all the remarkable towns on the West – Leghorn is the only town in Italy that has nothing Italian about it And is therefore not worth seeing – And next to L: Turin is I think the least interesting – In going from Florence home – If you can, manage to see <–> Mantua (with its palace du The T) and Verona – <–>  and Vicenza – Especially the two latter – Vicenza is for architecture the very first city in Italy And Verona for its Amphitheatre stands on a par with Nismes Of your return thro Switzerland I need say nothing – Every way of coming ^home^ is beautiful – There is no bad way but the most beautiful by far is the Corniche road by the Mediterranean including Genoa la superba And of all the Alpine passes by far the least beautiful I believe to be that of Mont Cenis – But both Switzerland & France – As well as all the cis-Apline country – you will I dare say visit again & again – Therefore when the days begin to be too cool & short for agreeable travelling, up and not before, your friends will be looking for you And will be expecting you grown some fifteen years younger under the unifying influence of travellg – Miss Sturch says she is dull for want of you & sometimes low; but her looks do not confirm the story

       Now for a few words on public matters – The ministry are going on in the course of policy which they had commenced before you left England – Having done an act of justice in a spirit of generosity to the Unitarians who have a minimum of faith, they have since shewn a disposition to do for the Romanists all the justice which the bigotry of the Nation can yet tolerate – They have come forward with a comparatively munificent endowment of Maynooth college £15,000 pr Ann: which they let the priests have the entire management of – And they have brought forward a plan for founding two other colleges or Universities in Ireland which are to be common to all the churches – Like the London University And these measures have been most factiously & ungratefully met by almo even the parties intended to be benefitted [sic] – The Rom: Cath: bishops have solemnly protested agt any Roman Cath: going to a college where any professor shall be allowed to teach even the physical sciences, such as geology, anatomy &c who is not a Rom: Cath:!!! In this they follow the example set them by Oxford & Cambr: And Churchmen have no right to declaim agt them for this homage shewn to their ^own principle^ – In the meanwhile all the Orthodox dissenters have been bestirring themselves with malignant zeal And we hear of nothing but No-popery meetings – more than a million of petitioners have sent up their fanatical addresses but the Church has not responded warmly to the Conventicle – Only two Bishops are staunch to the back bone – London & Exeter – that is of English Teas – The bps of St David & Oxford have spoken in favour of the colleges – Oconnell is manifestly annoyed & perplexed by these measures – His ravings for repeal have evidently lost their artfulness & their efficiency – The opponents of the bill dwell less on the mischief  ^mischief^ of the measure [than? paper torn] the inconsistency of the minister – And I am quite sorry to be forced to say [this? – paper torn] ^they say that^ Fonblanque in the Examiner has been writing as mischievously as possible – treating Sir Robert as if he were the worst of human beings, because he has had the enormous impudence of being now wiser than he was five years ago – And is doing the good act of doing himself which he would not let the former ministers do – As if the guilty Servant were he who did his Masters bidding, after he had in words refused to do it – And not the one who promised and then did not perform –

       These wise attempts at conciliation in Ireland have thrown all other concerns into shade – One event has occurred which will fill you with grief – The N: Americans have resolved to reunite Texas to the states And so if the Union be not broken thereby, slavery is secured for generations – On the other hand France & England have formed a new treaty for stopping the slave trade – And this promises well for humanity And for the preservn of peace – And now my dear ^Madam^ I will release you to the Italians sag from my inconvenience being with Sincere respect  

                        Your friend & hble Servt

                                     H. C. Robinson

P. S. I hope you will be able to find out Mrs Aders – that is, if you wish it – The name of the banker is rather a strange one, but bankers are not numerous any where And the Piazza di Gran Duca is not large -- Before A removed to a villa in the Suburbs they lived in the Palazzo Genori via Genori No 5145 – Secondo piano – That is, second flat, or floor – Pray do not suppose yourself under any obligation to call on Mrs A. unless you feel a real inclination – At Florence Mr Sturch will have a fine opportunity of hearing all the politics of the world at the fine establishmt of Viesseux ^a reading room^ If I had known your brother I should have begged him to remember me very kindly to Viesseux or to my old friend ^Henry^ Meyer if he fall in with him – Meyer is a great liberal And knows all our leading Whigs & patriots – He is himself a zealot in the cause of reform ^education^ If you see him & tell him what yo know of me, he will become your friend at once 

Address:  Alba Synora / Synora Reid / (Inglese) / Citta die Pieve / per Perugia / Italia   

Postmark: Bologne 8 JUIN 45.  

Endorsed: Mr Robinson 

Text: BC/RF/103/4/4, Archives, Royal Holloway University of London.