Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Derwent Coleridge, 19 April 1853.

30 Russell Square

19 April 1853

My dear Sir

     I have received the print And rejoice in the possession of it. In one respect, it is even better than the painting. With all its excellence there was in that a something ghastly and spectral which on my imagination at least made a painful impression.  All that is softened down. I thank you heartily for it.

    I met Mrs Jameson to day in the Street – She had heard of it, And said she had requested Mr Kenyon to make application in her behalf to you for a copy – If similarity of pursuits & character were necessary to justify a claim she would have no right whatever

     But <–> women of genius are perhaps more willing to allow the pretensions of their literary rivals than men of letters are And Mrs Jameson & Mrs Coleridge in that matter belong to the same class.

     Should you by chance meet with the Brit: Quart: Rev: for last November (No 31) pray read the Art: Shakesp: and Göthe pray read it – It is rich in thought The Author he is one of the most prominent of the youngest generation of Writers (Masson Prof: of English Literature in our Univ: Coll:)

     I beg my Comps to Mrs Derwent Coleridge

                                     &c &c &c

                                                     H. C. Robinson

Revd D Coleridge

Text: WLMS STANGER/2/188.1, Wordsworth Trust and Museum, Grasmere. Robinson writes in his diary on 19 April 1853: ‘I wrote letters to Lady Richardson praising her article on Wordsworth’s Life – as a picture of his actual life, but protesting against its being received as just praise to the book; also to Derwent Coleridge acknowledging a beautiful engraving of Lawrence’s picture of his sister It is a pathetic portrait and admirably expresses her character.’