Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Mary Wordsworth, [Rydal Mount], 22 February [18]49.

30 Russell Square

22d Feb: 49

My dear friend

     Yesterday several questions were put to me concerning your health and Mr Wordsworths And generally concerning the well being of and the goings on in the Valley that lies between Grasmere & Windermere, that I was unable to reply to with the desired minuteness – And this led to a little self examination when I found that I had been somewhat remiss myself in writing And this has led to my sitting down now, tho’ how I can profitably make up for my past neglect I really do not know. To compensate for not writing at all, but by writing a very dull letter is really a bad business – Yet how shall I avoid this? The subjects on which we both feel an interest of the same kind are so very few that I have to hunt about in all directions to find them.

     One just occurs to me: I lately saw Mrs Austen – not the German translatress who corrupts the Queen’s English by her foreign importations, but the Lady who with her invalid husband succeeded in alluring you occasionally to their hotel on the lake – She tells me that she interested Mr Wordsworth by reading to him some spirited letters from young Layard then engaged on a voyage journey in Assyria. Mrs A. thinks that Mr W. will be interested in the reputation into which Layard has suddenly started. He really revels in popularity Macauley And his Nineveh is the most popular book of the day except the Hist: of the Revolution of 1688 – And derives none of its attractions from party feelings – When I became acquainted with Layard, on the Imperial of a French diligence, he was a boisterous attorneys clerk, full of monkey tricks & practical jokes which I tolerated on account of his good humour & a certain strong headed plain sense

     We travelled together in France; He was under Brockedon’s care – He after that used to visit me in my chambers And I helped him forward in his desultory studies by the loan of books. When his clerkship expired, he refused to be a “Special Attorney” and instead accepted an invitation to Ceylon where an Uncle offerd to provide for him But he never reached Ceylon – He was for a time lost in the Arabian wastes – no one knew what was become of him. After years of yet unexplained wanderings he was heard of at Constantinople, taken into the house of Sir Stratford Cannery – And having made a lucky hit in exploring the spot that is now supposed to be the seat of ancient Nineveh, he was encouraged by the minister in pursuing his researches And coming to Europe hope home he has managed in a few months to produce a book that every one praises besides some costly ^illustrated^ volumes of learned antiquities On account of these works, credit being given to him, for they were yet unknown, the University of Oxford has associated him with Wellington Blucher Wordsworth & other kindred spirits by making him a D. C. L.  to the astonishment of his old friends & the secret & proud satisfaction of his Uncle & Aunt – Now if ever this book falls into your hands, these few statements may add to your interest in it – But if which is not improbable you never see the book you will think I might quite as well have kept myself to myself.

     When I wrote before I had not seen Mrs Coleridge I have seen her several times lately – She will soon publish a Vol: that will give an account of her fathers lectures on Shakespear &c – She has an interesting anxiety to redeem his memory from the charge of plagiarism – And I think she may succeed if she is content with insisting as she has done in the new Biogr: Liter: that he was no conscious plagiarist but that his intellect was confused to the degree that he did not distinctly know what was his own or not – But she is <–> unreasonably anxious to shew that he did not derive his leading ideas from the great German writers, for it would be no reprove if he did – And if it appears that his character of Hamlet is substantially that which Göthe gave to the world in his Wilhelm Meister before the year 1800, she will never persuade any one acquainted with Göthes & Coleridges writings that C: was not influenced by the early works of G—  However, we must tolerate this excess of family feeling.  I have not myself seen any advertisement, but I have heard that Derwent announces “a life of Hartley”!!!  And I have seen in the Athenaeum sentimental paragraphs written about the funeral – Who could have written them I cannot imagine. Harr: Martineau is not sentimental nor is she on corresponding terms with the Athenaeum. – If any advice would be listened to certainly there would not be wanting those who would recommend at the most, a mere brief Memoir of some half dozen pages would be the herald of any posthumous writings – Formerly this was done when the subject of the Memoirs had led a useful & even honourable life, And a curtain needed not to be drawn over the wasted years which followed a youth of disappointed^ment^ – exciting expectations –

     I have not lately seen Mr Rogers – Miss R: is I believe still at Brighton – He was when I last saw him in his usual mood – Kind in action, occasionally bitter in words – he has kindly seconded my scheme of having a Flaxman Gallery set up in our Univ: College – I have already paid in to the banker £150 – And I have written subscriptions to the amount of 130 – Among the last is £20 promised from our friend, which I must soon receive from him – we have lost a large subscription by the sudden death of Earl Auckland And a smaller probably from the death of Mr Tulk the brother of your neighbor Mrs [Stoltisfosh?]

     I was just able to shew my attention to the Doctor by informing him of the death of his brother in law – You will not forget to remember me to this family, as well as my older friends and acquaintance. (Continued after some hours)

    I yesterday met in the Street Mrs Twining with her daughter in law – Mrs A. T. gave a good account of Fox How and its inmates – And her sweet smile has again become natural to her.

     Of Mrs Clarkson I have little to say – I have had a very few hardly legible lines from her – Yet I am told that when the heads of the late Anti-slavery meeting at Ipswich paid their respects to her as the representative of their former honoured leader, they were astonished at her eloquence.

  I was about to say a word or two on politics, or the state of the world now, but this is almost a prohibited subject between us And therefore instead I will speak of the lowest object that just occurs to me to mention, and that is myself.

  I am threatened with a change in my domestic arrangements which puts into peril my future comfort Your Son William will be able to appreciate the importance of this incident better than you can be

  Mrs Gregory has given offence to the Landlord not without just grounds of offence I must own, And she is going to be removed from the superintendence of the house

  Now, I have lived here into my tenth year – And at the age of 73 it is no slight evil to see every person I am accustomed to, removed out of the house – I am told that the new people will be better than the last – That may be the fact without my thinking so At all events the new Servants will have to be taught my ways, as well as acquainted with most of my <–> friends & Associates.  This aggravates the painful Sense of my being so entirely dependent on others for comfort – It is only ^now^ that that sense is beginning to be painful.  I have come to the conclusion that it is for my happiness that I should remove into a house, And be thoroughly domiciled with those who would take care of me – And in wch ^which^ house I might have the attendance of a man servant.

  My thoughts now turn on the necessity of a change of life – I know very well the sort of persons I want, but I know not where to find the persons.

  Did we know each other, there must be many who could promote my happiness as I might theirs But where are they? An advertisement in the Times will do no good – I have been kept from looking about me as I should have done, by the uncertainty of my brothers life – No one expected three years since that he would be alive now – And now, tho’ his fits occasionally recur, now I am more anxious about my niece than I am about him – Sometimes I think that he may survive her & her sister – What a prospect is that for me – What an opening to the consciousness that my position will call on me to discharge duties which I am unable to discharge – Then, you will say, they are no longer duties – But there will be the need of me – And it will be humiliating for me to plead inactivity – But why weary & worry you with all this? – It is well my paper is at an end.

  But with all this egotism be assured that I have not forgotten you & yours, And that it will give me great pleasure to have a good account of you & Mr W.  So no more – as ever affectionately his & yours –

                                                                [no signature]

Text: WLL, Robinson, Henry Crabb/14, Wordsworth Trust and Museum, Grasmere. In his diary entry on 22 February 1849, Robinson notes: ‘I wrote also to Mrs Wordsworth chiefly relating the history of Layard and telling her of my troubles about Mrs Gregory.’