Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to William Wordsworth, Jr., [no address], 3 May 1850.

30 Russell Square

3d May 1850.

My dear Wordsworth

    I lose no time in answering your note And in returning you the interesting document you sent for my perusal – As far as I am concerned, it only strengthens a sense which has occasionally oppressed of me, of my own incapacity to profit by the opportunities afforded me by the intercourse I have had with your father; Combining ^as he did^ a larger portion of intellectual & moral greatness than any individual with whom I have been permitted to associate And certainly one of the greatest & best of men that either my eye has beheld or my mind has dwelt on as a subject of contemplation –

     My contributions will be few, very few & of very little value, And the consciousness of this humiliates me –

     Mr Quillinan has been very kind in his frequent communications And I feel greatly obliged to him. I therefore wrote to him only when the afflicting intelligence was communicated I meant of course to write in due time to your dear mother – And I shall do so, but I thought it better to postpone writing for a short time

     I regret not being with you at the interment had I known that I was expected, I should have been there – For tho’ the attendance would have been itself one of pure sorrow; Yet it would have afforded a not unsatisfactory recollection for hereafter – If indeed it be not folly in one who is within a few weeks of 75 years of age to write of future recollections.

    You make enquiries about a MSS by Barron Field – Will you excuse my obtruding an unasked for opinion?

     I really do not think it worth your while making any enquiries about it I recollect many years ago hearing your mother speak of B. F’s having made enquiries about some particulars of your father’s life, because he intended writing his life! And she felt I believe somewhat indignantly – I recollect smiling only – Barron Field was not an unamiable man – he was what is called a smart or clever man And at first was one of the many who laughed at the lake school This I know And therefore being one day in company with him & Coleridge he asked me to introduce him to C:[1] which I flatly refused Saying that he had no right to be in company with a man whom he ridiculed – This however was soon at an end And he soon became a zealous admirer both of C & W. And tho he was the personal friend of C. Lamb – he was a sort of professed critic – And I dare say if he has left any MS about your father, it will not have a word that could give you offence, but not being a profound man, I dare say your father would not have been pleased at the thought of such a man sitting in judgement on him – But this is what during his life he was forced to submit to, And now that he is personally removed And that his works belong to the great body of the English Classics – Every body qualified and unqualified will take the liberty of writing about them – It does not appear to me that B. F’s critical opinions at all come within the object of the note which your father left with Dr Christopher Wordsworth – This I apprehend referred only to the illustration of his writings which might be supplied by the family & friends – Many years ago I remarked to Mrs Quillinan that she ought carefully to measure up memorials – for a future edition And I have sometimes flatterd myself that in my suggestions may have originated those precious notes deposited originally with Miss Fenwick And which will assuredly form the basis of a future annotated edition. Whenever such an edition appears I shall tender to the editor for his acceptance a few short notes – But to recur again to Barron Field – I am acquainted with his brother Frank who lives in the Regents Park – not the Cambridge brother – where he is I do not know – I can incidentally ask whether he knows of such a MS but I do not think it advisable to draw the family’s attention to it – Let it sleep – I beg my most affectionate regards to your dear Mother & kind respects to your brother Mr Quillinan & Mrs W. W.

                         Very truly yours

                                            H. C. Robinson

W. Wordsworth Esqr [‘Junr’ has been added in pencil in another hand]

Text: WLL, Robinson, Henry Crabb/19, Wordsworth Trust and Museum, Grasmere. Robinson’s diary entry on 3 May 1850 does not mention this letter, but he does discuss the letter’s substance: ‘I went to Mr Cookson who is one of the executors of Mr Wordsworth’s Will and with whom I had an interesting conversation about Wordsworth’s arrangements for the publication of his poems. He has commissioned Dr Christopher Wordsworth to write his life – a brief memoir merely illustrative of his poem, and in a paper given to the Doctor he wrote that his sons, son-in-law, his dear friend Miss Fenwick, Mr Carter and Mr Robinson who had travelled with him, would gladly contribute their aid by communicating any facts within their knowledge. But the property in these works remains with his family.’

[1] This seems to be in error; it would appear Robinson meant to write ‘W’.