Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Lady Anne Isabella Noel Byron, [no address], 5-6 October 1853.

[f. 7r.]

30 Russell Square

5 October 1853

Madam,

       I could not but feel flattered by your suggestion, notwithstanding the misgivings that accompanied it. I was afraid to encourage the idea when it occurred to me before, simply on the ground that an inadequate, if not a positively mischievous writing of that kind, often stands in the way of a better production  However, on receiving your letter I wrote to the printer requesting him not to distribute the last sheet, And to the Editor begging him to permit the printer to send me the desired copies – I hope to have some information to send when I put this in the post – which I expected to receive this morning.  You have seen I presume the excellent paper in the Inquirer – written I guess by one of the young men at Bonne [f.7v] whose acquaintance R made the year before he went to Brighton –

       You compliment me still further by inviting me to criticise and suggest amendments to the Inscription – The topics seem to be wisely selected And I do not find any thing to object to, beyond at the utmost, a want of rhythm – and a word or two – And I distrust my own ear and tact too much to permit my doing more than make a suggestion as an unaffected doubt or question

       I will with your permission add these in a separate paper – And even so much as this I should be ashamed to do, savouring of presumption, it I were not aware that in these minutiae of verbal criticism to which the legendary style is especially exposed, the interposition of a fresh mind, however inferior it may be, quickens the more active spirit

       I am your ladyship’s

                         obedient Servant

                                     H. C. Robinson

The Lady Noel Byron

[f. 8r.]

6th October. 

P.S: I have just received a letter from the Editor informing me that he had desired the printer to send me the copies I requested I shall have pleasure in sending some to you as soon as they arrive –

       I now send some remarks on the inscription which call for the exercise of that kindness of disposition which all whom I have heard speak of you name as characteristic –

      Mr Aspland is more satisfied with my paper than I expected – he wishes me to write again on the subject, which I must for the present decline I do not think it would become me to sit in judgement on a man like Robertson – If there be any merit in my paper, it lies in my forbearance –

       I was blamed yesterday in a friendly spirit for not sufficiently praising R: I studiously witheld praise for an obvious reason –

       When a heretic praises a man whom the bigots wish to stigmatise as a heretic, he gives a sort of countenance to the charge – I stated from his own lips the anecdote about the lady who caught him in the fact [sic—act?] of reading Channing And his own declaration that he had no [f. 8v] personal objection to the Athanasian Creed – I should have thought it wrong to state the one without the other – How to reconcile these? I have given a hint by printing three words in Italics – Yet the bigotted Unitarian And the narrow minded Orthodox will be offended  by what gratifies his adversary – This cannot be helped – 

Text: MS-DEP Lovelace-Byron 109, fols. 7-8, Bodleian Library.