Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Lady Anne Isabella Byron, [no address], 10 April 1855.

[f. 90r]

London

30 Russell Square

10th April 1855

Dear Lady Byron

      I shall be proud to communicate your message to Miss Goldsmid: which she cannot fail to receive with pleasure: In the Sentiment there is very little difference between such Jewish Philosophers as Philipson and such Christian Philosophers as Unitarianism presents in the present Generation both in the United States and England – And the diversity of Opinion belongs ^more^ to the History than the metaphysics or Philosophy of Religion –

      It is the promulgation of this Philosophy in its widest Sense – Combined with a genuine piety and earnest conviction of the truth of this philosophical religion and a warm desire to advance its interests that is the object, and I expect will be the avowed & not to be disputed object of the expected Review. There is no vagueness in the design tho’ there may be in the “project,” if by that you mean the practical scheme – And I must think there is in all that has been communicated to you –

       I hope from the intimation contained in your letter that I shall have the pleasure and advantage of seeing [you] before I am called upon to take any course

       When I was informed that another Review was to be set up in the place of the old Prospective [f. 90v] and instead of the intended National Rev: (abandoned from the want of pecuniary resources) I hoped it would be such as would secure the approbation of a person of your correct judgement And taking for granted that it would be an enlarged & improved Prosp: I thought it sure of your approbation And when I hoped that I might feel myself at liberty without recurring reproach as for an act of weakness to add my name &c &c  But I was sufficiently aware of the uncertainty to write to me of its warm advocates

       “I will be no party to a constituent body – I shun the responsibility; when your body is constituted – when it is in the state of advancement in which it was when I first heard of it – Let me [know] how much has been contributed and by whom – And let me see your Program – And then .... &c &c …[”] I hoped, strongly hoped that I should ultimately feel myself justified in adding my subscription to the others – I understand that very nearly all have acceded to the new scheme And who were parties to the National – And that ^it was thought that^ this would suffice as the whole work is on a smaller scale than the other

       It will give me pain not to join, on account of my high opinion of Mr J. J. Tayler and knowing as I do how much value he attaches to the intended Review as securing the single Organ that can be relied on to as animated a literary instrument for giving existence & popular notoriety to the Xn scheme in its only genuine form – And that his heart & soul are in the review as he hopes & expects it will become –

      [f. 91r] And I conceived that this new Rev: would have more of your sympathy & good wishes than the National could have had – However, this is in fact not opposed to what you now say: It is the project as a practical scheme &c &c which you are not satisfied with –

       I should rejoice were it in my power to say that I saw reason to dissent from you in this:

       In addressing to me your remark about Easter Sunday it appears that either you do not know that my veins are full of Puritan blood or that you think me degenerated from my Ancestors – One of my name Robert R wrote the “Gift and Mystery of Good Friday”

       Seriously speaking: The Antipathy of the Dissenters to Fasts and Festivals was carried to so ridiculous a heighth and was so contemptuous towards the institutions of the State as to provoke the Church to many of its acts of injustice & cruelty –

                         I am

                                     faithfully your’s                                   

                                                H. C. Robinson

The Lady Noel Byron

      &c &c &c

Text:  MS-DEP Lovelace-Byron 109, fols. 90-91, Bodleian Library, Oxford.