Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Mary Wordsworth, Rydal Mount, 22 July 1848.

London

30 Russell Square

22d July 1848

My dear friend

     I think it right to give you notice that on Monday, as I purpose, I shall go to Lincolne to attend the Archaeological Institute If therefore either you or Mr Quillinan shod be filled with any generous impulse towards me during the week my address will be

                                      Archaeological Institute

                                                Lincolne.

I shall take a return ticket which will avail me till the 3d of August – And then come home intending in a few days to go to Bury for a few weeks – Such are my plans – liable to many interruptions – I do not recollect having yet informed you of the accident that occurred to me on the 27th of last month – I stumbled over a projecting step of a church door – An evil omen you will say – And received an unpleasant strain – However the consequences were by no means serious – The worst were the fees I gave my attendant Surgeon. And his chief prescription was rest, rest, rest.

     I kept within a full fortnight And I know not where I have spent a fortnight of more uninterrupted enjoyment – I was enabled to look over, arrange & make use of old German papers a job I never before could sit down to in London – So that I had not five minutes of either ennuie or fretting – My friends came & sat with me And I had a few parties of whist – Cookson was so kind as to drink tea with me several times – He is in very good health apparently – I managed however to go to a ball at Talfourds but I assure ^you^ I did not walz or polk – The Final Memorials of Charles Lamb are out – They have been sent me – But I have read only the warm hearted dedication – I approved of its being written without permission – And shall hope to hear that it And the whole work meets with your & his approbation – I dont mean the his which grammar would point out; but his whose feelings & opinions will be of more importce in the compilers & authors eyes than those of all other persons – But that even he shod be capable of forming a just judgement, it is necessary that he should be in the enjoyment of repose & ^health^ without which the noblest of faculties be inert.

     One reflection occurred to me on looking at the outside only of these Vols: The letters of every man (unequal as they must be) will generally derive their character from those to whom they are addressed – If for instance you have any from Coleridge they would probably be among his very best And should be preserved as a counterpoise to letters of a less valueable class which he may have written to correspondents of a different character – I shall take the Vols: with me.

     I forget whether I have ever spoken to you abot an admirable preacher at Brighton – Robertson of Trinity Chapel – he is a popular preacher there but without any degrading concessions to evangelical low-churchism – Tho’ decidedly opposed to Tractarianism – Yet he gives the preference to what is called the high church I think him one of the most admirable preachers I ever heard – He set out last night for Keswick – He is most desirous And I assure you well worthy to see the Interior of Rydal Mount – I have given him a note to Mr Quillinan who will best know whether & when he ought to present himself – With your lamentable experience on this sad matter I fear you will look on him with a melancholy eye – he has been advised by medical men to abstain from preaching for a Season & seek a milder climate – I very much fear his case is one sadly resembling that of Mrs Will: Wordsworth And he is at times himself aware of it – But he is now in good spirits he is a man of manifold literary tastes & pursuits I made his acquaintce in Germany where he spent a summer for the benefit of his health –

     If Mr Quillinan should have leisure I wish he wod take Mr Robertson as my friend to Miss Martineau of whose late work however he judges as yo do By the bye Mrs Reid is now with H: M: One of the most generous & noble creatures that ever breathed I hope you will see her. I beg too that if you do & when you see H M or Mrs Fletcher or Mrs Arnold or Lady Richardson or Mrs Davy that yo will be the bearer of my kindness [sic] remembces – To your husband Love &c &c as ever dear friend

                     Affectionately yours

                                    H. C. Robinson

Mrs Wordsworth

Rydal Mount

Text: WLL, Robinson, Henry Crabb/11, Wordsworth Trust and Museum, Grasmere.  Robinson provides a short gloss on the letter in his diary on 22 July 1848: ‘I wrote today to Mrs Wordsworth as well as to my brother. Called on Fellows who recommends my calling on the Horts and Mr Close.’  Among the references above are Harriet Martineau (H M) and Elizabeth Jesser Reid (see their entries in the Biographical Index).