Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Mary Wordsworth, Rydal Mount, Ambleside, 22 December 1854. 

London

30 Russell Square

   22d Dec: 1854

My dear friend

     Had the decline of my faculties reduced me so low that my recollection of Rydal and its Environs, with its precious inhabitants was becoming faint, it must revive at this Season. If you think me inattentive dear friend, do not suppose it is wilful – nor that I forget you – Indeed the infirmity of old age is not so much forgetfulness as a dreamy way of thinking of the objects of interest, not lively enough to lead to any exertion.  I write now tho I have nothing chearful to write – If you resemble in this your dear friend Miss Fenwick this will scarcely be an objection – Some weeks back on my apologising to her that I had nothing amusing or pleasant to say to her, her reply was so much the better I could not attend to it if you had – Naming her, I may add, that on her removal to her new residence, I called (– it was on the 13th I found her unhappily very ill. She admitted me for a moment only On my saying she I should write in a day or two to you, she said – It is a pity you should write now – And this I believe did put me off then; but I have not been able to call since – Her case exposes her to constant changes, so that we are not warranted in drawing inferences from her being then so very poorly, that are alarming

     I called some weeks back also on the ladies at Hampstead – Mrs H: was looking better than Miss H: I was pleased with her volunteering the uncalled for remarking that Jane had been distinguishing herself by her active & kind attention to her father in his sudden affliction.

     Of your earliest friend among us all, Mrs Clarkson, the very oldest & earliest of mine in the Country I have not much to tell you. She writes with difficulty and is unused to borrow the hand of an emanuensis. I sent her the print of Coleridge – And that she acknowledgement^d^ it had given her very great pleasure – She thought it an excellent likeness – She has not kept her word of writing since & soon – I have already accounted for this on general grounds. She you are aware has had troubles connected with the settlement of her grandson in domestic life – It is hoped these are nearly at an end – But of the apprehension of a recurrence of such troubles there can be no end. She is becoming gradually more feeble I fear.

     You have always kindly expressed an interest in my brothers family. This I grieve to say ^is^ in as bad a state as it can well be – my exemplary niece – that is an example of a most anxious desire & firm resolution to discharge all the duties of life is unhappily assailed by a number of conflicting duties – And in her desire to fulfill them all she is in danger of performing them all imperfectly. My poor brother’s memory is nearly gone – She cannot leave him – And he cannot leave Bury – Now Bury is of all climates the worst for the boy – And him she cannot leave or suffer to depart her for a great length of time – Last year, he was more than seven months in Dover & London – And he was greatly improved in appearance His Aunt Lucy, her most disinterested & self devoting Sister has been his indefatigable attendant And has in consequence drawn upon herself a serious indeed very alarming malady She is threatned with Paralysis – And she alone ^my niece^ whose health has been so very bad, threatned with starvation even from a difficulty in swallowing, alone has ^now^ some strength to attend to the three A few months ago, died her mother – more aged than my brother – She was born in 1769 – And now to heighten all this calamity – Henry is become worse – And very alarming is his condition – Sarahs only comfort is she has obtained the society of two nieces from Scotland – lively & tender & attached all at once – Her letter to me three days since was in a tone of all but despair – At Bury out of the house She has very few acquaintce – And the house is now full – I go whenever I am of very little use – Indeed she sometimes fears I incite my brother too much – And as Henry needs amusement above all things And must have no suspicion of his danger, I am requested to write as lively as possible – As if all were going on well there so that any one not knowing that these are orderd letters written to order must have a very strange opinion of me this has been the case for a long time – I fear in writing this dismal note I am supposing you to be more like my Miss Fenwick than I hope you are –

     Another topic of sadness tho’ altogether different I must now not leave unnoticed tho’ it is One in which you have positively declined to take any active concern –

     This is the Monument  To my surprise I heard the other day that it has been put up without any communication with the Sub-Committee, ^appointed^ to arrange the whole – Mr Coleridge the Judge’s Son and Mr Boxall the Secretaries have certainly been discourteously treated – Not intentionally perhaps – They were not consulted about the place – It is said there was no other place than that selected – I should say – taken – for selection is chusing among – to the artist alone it is of importance that the Canon of Westminster exercising absolute authority over the inscription or its substitute, has not obtained any relaxation of the extortion of fees. The Queen gave £50 on condition that the Monument shod be in the Abbey – Surely if the Dean & Chaps: had been threatned with an appeal to her they would not have dared to make the Artist lose £150 by her request – They take £200 It is these rich bodies – Deans & Chaps and Prelates in their secular office – not Bishops in their spiritual function who are destroying the Church more than its external enemies are.  The Doctor & those who have been under his authority have also broken their word And I think wrongfully deprived the Artist of his lawful wages for work done, to the Extent of between £40 & £60.

    Mr Harrison acted honourably However, the matter perhaps is not closed yet perhaps I am to be summoned to the Commee. As to the inscription – There is none yet. Only a Sonnet on a tablet near in honour of Cathedrals but with no referce to the great poet ^except that it is written by him^ For my part I shall be satisfied with his great name And the dates affixed to the two letters

     Dear friend I must break off – remember me  to all your family most kindly And to my friends the Arnolds Mrs Fletcher and her daughter – Mr Carr, the Harrisons The W Roughsedges ^and Cooksons^ &c &c ... Family has a double sense – Its proper sense is within the Walls – its other sense is kindred – So in the double sense Mrs Hutchison and your Sons other family will be included

                         Ever, affectionately your’s

                                             H. C. Robinson

Mrs Wordsworth

Rydal Ambleside

Text: WLL, Robinson, Henry Crabb/30, Wordsworth Trust and Museum, Grasmere. Robinson writes in his diary on 22 December 1854: ‘I wrote a longish letter to Mrs Wordsw. giving her an accot of the serious pieces of sad news which have filled my mind lately deaths & illnesses – And the state of my poor brothers family I send little or nothing to day –’