Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Thomas Carter, Rydal Mount, 17 February 1855.

London

30 Russell Square

17th Feb 1855

My dear Sir,

     This intense cold – severer than any we have had this year, that is, this Winter-season, has put it out of my power to see Miss Fenwick since I last wrote – Nor have I heard of her at the Athenaeum since – I find myself more alterd this last year than I have ever been conscious of before I feel the cold – I am near the fire and my fingers smart – On account of the slippery walking I cannot call on Moxon to make the inquiry of him about the letters of C: L: tho’ I am pretty sure, he cannot have any – I am sure I have none – And that I have deliverd all I had in the first instance & declined giving to the biographer, back to Mrs Wordsworth – And I am all but as certain that the second & more voluminous set have been deliverd of which copies were taken for printing – These, being in print are of no great importance As to the others – Mrs W: must deal with them as she thinks proper – As to Mr Ws own letters I hope she will allow all that can be found any where to be returned – none being destroyed – for the purpose of their contributing to remedy the evil incurred by one unfortunate error in judgement A few suitable letters being preserved added to the prose writings and a short memoir would constitute One volume And then all the short notes to the last & most perfect edition stereotyped would be a permanent & valuable inheritance to the family – And it would depend on the size of the Vols: whether the Life were a part of the prose or poetic works –

     As to Lambs letters – I will bear them in mind but I expect that you will find them all as I am continually doing things which I thought I had lost when I had given them over –

     As Mrs W. cannot read her own letters I fear And as I have nothing to say that you may not send to yourself and her I will on the other side add a few words addressed to herself, in answer to a letter from Mr W. Wordsworth which I should have answerd had yours not arrived – bear in mind that I hope to see you in London one of these days

                 I am very truly yours

                             H. C. Robinson

Mr Thos Carter

Rydal Mount

Text: WLL, Robinson, Henry Crabb/33, Wordsworth Trust and Museum, Grasmere.