[Thomas] Paynter, Kensington, London, to Henry Crabb Robinson,, [30 Russell Square, London], 30 March 1854.

[f. 43r]

Kensington

30 March 1854

My dear Robinson

       Some time ago you asked me if I knew any layman of scholastike and general acquirements whom I could recommend as a Tutor for a youth of good family: I could not at the time recollect anyone who was likely to fulfill the conditions required, but there are now two persons whose names have occurred to me, respecting whom it might at all events be worth while I think to make some enquiry, if no one has yet been found to fill the place in question, which I imagine is not [f. 43v] improbable as I know by my own experience how difficult it is to find a layman duly qualified for such an office, because most laymen who answer the required description devote themselves to professional or official employments.

       The persons to whom I refer are a Mr Francis and a Mr Awdrey: the former, who is not personally known to me, resided ^until very recently^ at Great Marlow where he took a few pupils to prepare them for the Army: his expectation and success in this occupation appears to have been considerable: one of his pupils Mr Prideaux, the only son of Sir Humphrey Prideaux, is well known [f. 44r] and it is from the account he has given me & from the remarkable progress he made while under Mr Francis’s care that I have been led to form a highly favourable opinion of his Tutors abilities, and qualifications for dealing with young men: he has now very lately given up taking pupils and gone to live in Wales; he is still young and unmarried and from what I have heard I should suppose he wd not be disinclined to take an engagement such as you proposed: I imagine a letter directed to Great Marlow would still find him: Mr Prideaux is unfortunately gone to India or I wd apply to him on this subject.

       Mr Awdrey I know personally; his course of life has not [f. 44v] been very unlike that of Mr Francis; he was assistant in a school of some celebrity at Stanmore which was admirably conducted & where I placed in succession both my sons: being weary of such an employment & having some small independence of his own he left the school, and has since spent the greater part of his time in travelling about, but he has occasionally taken charge of one or more pupils for a limited period: he is a man of considerable & of very agreeable gentlemanly manners; I shd think him likely to acquire considerable influence over any youth placed under his care.

       It is hardly desirable to give an English youth entirely foreign education, but I should certainly place a son of my own for a year or more with Dr Brandis at Bonn. Ever yours

                         Thomas Paynter         

H. C. Robinson Esqr  

Text:  MS-DEP Lovelace-Byron 109, fols. 43-44, Bodleian Library, Oxford.