Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Lady Anne Isabella Noel Byron, [no address], 7 October [1853].

[f. 10r.]

London

30 Russell Square

7th October.

Madam

       I beg your acceptance of the accompanying copies of the Obituary Article. I was flatterd by your expressed wish to receive it in that form –

       I shall be still more gratified if you will permit me to send you another packet. This will reconcile me to my doing what without your express permission I should have thought obtrusive. I really have a difficulty in enterpreting [sic] such words as – “as many copies as possible” – And you would relieve me from an embarressment [sic] if you would let me know how many like packets I might forward to you, if any, without the imputation of vanity – The printer was from home when my letter arrived, And in consequence of a misconstruction of an expression in it – There is no intimation of the periodical from which it is called – May I request you to favor me with your opinion on this point – by which I should be guided –

        [f. 10v] Would it do good or harm to put as usual at the head of these reprints

                    “Extracted from the Christian Reformer of October 1853?

A passage in the paper is unintelligible without this intimation, but it would be guessed – To contribute in the slightest degree to a just appreciation of Robertson I feel a great honour, independently of incidental accompaniment.

       I hope I have not failed in making clearly understood the double injustice done to our friend by parties altogether opposed to each other – The bigots of the Ultra Church and Anti-church parties.

       Sometimes when chance puts a paper into our hands, we read or look into what otherwise would not have been regarded for a moment. If you should have read a part of the paper on American Slavery – (It is both wise and benignant) you might like to know that the writer is Mr Carpenter – Son of that excellent man – the Bristol [f. 11r] [minister] Dr Lant Carpenter – A sort of Unitarian Methodist And brother of Miss Carpenter who has written so charitable [sic] on the training of the Poor – Should the name of Roscoe appear among Mr Robertsons papers – You will recollect my information about the grandaughter [sic] of the Liverpool Historian whom Mr Robertson baptised –

      I have the honour to be

                         Your ladyship’s

                                      H. C. Robinson

The Lady Noel Byron

Text: MS-DEP Lovelace-Byron 109, fol. 10, Bodleian Library, Oxford.