Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Lady Anne Isabella Byron, [no address], 28 December 1853.

[f. 24r]

London

30 Russell Square

28 Dec: 1853

Madam,

       Mr Rich: Hutton came to me yesterday, And I had a long conversation with him about our late friend, And your Ladyships generous efforts to secure a just ^public^ estimate of his admirable character And a wide extension of his honourable fame.

       It would gratify me much could I report to you that our conversation had led to any “practical plan” That I cannot do; But we have a clear and unhesitating opinion on one very important point, which whether of little or no value, And whether or not it will have the sanction of your concurrence, I am bound to state to you.

       It is this; that since you have not been able to carry out your first thought, that of combining in one publication the various judgements which might be formed of Mr Robertsons character, by several writers each viewing him from his own point of view and exhibiting that side of him with which the writer was best acquainted – All that [f. 24v] remains for those who appertain to the left whether – Extreme – or Centre-left – is to do nothing, but lye-by and wait till those of the right – whether Centre or Extreme right – have said all they have to say – And then it will depend upon what has been said whether what remains to be said should appear in the form of a Review – (The widest circulation would be obtained by a place in the Edinburg) or of a second “Life” like that of Sterling by Carlyle after Archdeacon Hare – Or of Strictures too elaborate for admission into any Periodical

       Against this, there is to be said – That the first word and impression would be in favour of the Ultra-Orthodox – And that those who had read the first might not read the second publication – All this is true, but it has little force, we think, against the following consideration – We gain infinitely more than we lose by giving them the first word –

       That which renderd R: the object of my especial admiration (which I have already said, but feebly in the Chr: Ref:) is the Union of Excellencies seldom combined [f. 25r] – The light of the understanding with the warmth of the Affections – Now those who more particularly ascribe to him the One of these, without admitting the absence of the other – We of the left, instead of honouring him less ^honour him the more^ on account of the merits which those of the right would magnify exclusively; while they on the contrary consider all our honour, as a deduction from or set off against his claims on them for praise. I have no doubt whatever that were a MS. work on Robertson in their hands, And an ample and faithful collection of the ipsissime verba to which you refer, to make its appearance it would induce them if not to suppress altogether yet to modify the praise given They would in the spirit of Mr Ts words to you [“]Say – Rather let his memory (and even the knowledge of what was his Evangelical in him) be forgotten than that it should be known that so much seeming piety was to be found in One who was so unsound in his doctrine –”

       But the praise once given cannot be withdrawn

       In the subsequent work it would be said by our friend the writer whoever he might be – We do not deny the truth of what [f. 25v] the others have said – But it was only half the man exhibited – We complete the picture by adding the features omitted by them

        I fear I have occupied too much of your valuable time in thus verbosely stating what really lies within a narrow compass

       I regret having so imperfectly express’d myself as to lead you to suppose that I thought you were dissatisfied with Mr T. because he differd from you in opinion I was well aware of your perfect liberality on all such points – And tho’ I did not know the fact, I thought it probable that your personal experience had informed you, as mine has, that the high-church clergy are generally speaking much more liberal than the low-church When we Unitarians lately – that is some 7 or 8 years ^since^ obtained our emancipation from the Calvinistic tyranny by the Dissenter’s Chapels Act, all the real opposition we had to encounter was from the Calvinistic Dissenters & Low Church Evangelicals [f. 26r] tho’ they managed to get two High Church bishops to head the opposition – So this attack on Maurice tho’ headed by Jelf perhaps high-church, is yet the work of the Rundites – Owing to peculiar circumstances at Brighton, it has been otherwise – And the Vicar’s hostility to our friend has changed the character ^disposition towards him^ of the religious public there. And yet the followers of Sortaine are among the least kindly disposed towards Mr Robertson

       Your presentation of Mr T. was in every respect I have no doubt, the very best you could make –

       There is not in your letter a word of Egotism nor ever will be, in the Censure – implying Sen[s]e in which that word is used –

       Dr King has written me word that he is coming to London, or its neighbourhood I shall be glad to talk over these matters with him.

       I enjoy conversing with him. He has a mind delicately formed – But I suspected that there was something of the Nicodemus in him

       [f. 26v] Would he allow his notes to be published with his name? I hope I have expressed myself clearly as to the law of note publishing R: Hutton agrees with me on this point as on all the others – He thinks that those who are earnestly orthodox did right in objecting to any man editing either the life or works of their friend, who is suspected of heterodoxy.

        You enquire in a very obliging manner when I shall be coming to Brighton – When there I visit an old friend who never invites me, but is glad when I invite myself, that is enquire whether it will suit at such a time &c &c Therefore since Rs having the incumbency I expect to go down invariably on the Saturday – For tho’ my friend is a Gallio – a very numerous body – Yet so superior a man was R: that even he (Masquerier) learned late in life to have an interest in hearing a Sermon – And was well pleased as he used to say when I went to Brighton to see him & hear R:  In a few weeks time when some present engagements are over, it will be [f. 27r] more than a sufficient reason for my going down, that I could have the pleasure of conversing with you on a subject so interesting to us both as that on which however, I fear I have been detaining you too long.

                                     I have the honour to be

                                                faithfully your’s

                                                             H. C. Robinson

The Lady Noel Byron

Text:  MS-DEP Lovelace-Byron 109, fols. 24-27, Bodleian Library, Oxford.