Henry Crabb Robinson, Athenaeum, London, to Mary Wordsworth, [Rydal Mount], 4 April 1856.

London

Athenaeum

4 April 1856

My dear friend –

     On my return to Russ: Square after a few days visit to the Chief Baron – I found Mr Carters letter which makes me feel ashamed of myself – That I should have occasioned your enquiring about my goings on – by my delay in writing is what I ought to be ashamed of And yet I can assure you; it is the consequence of no decline in my friendship towards you – but of an encreasing habit of procrastination which I try in vain to counteract – And I take it therefore as an act of kindness on your part and on Mr Carter’s also acting at your suggestion to remind me that I have not yet done what I have every day for the last two or three weeks thought of doing – “Good intentions” however are in favor with no church – nor can I claim any credit for beginning my letter to day – Since the past hour will scarcely retard its progress sufficiently to give me opportunity of dispatching this to day towards the <–> Northern Country – However tomorrow will be sufficient And begun is half done, you know – You ask after my health – for some time past I have been as everyone says, looking very well And at the same time I have been feeling unwell I may have said this before – It has been a sort of prominent condition – It would be more proper to say that I feel old rather ill – brittle rather than weak And that it is a Sense of insecurity that I cannot get rid of – I find too that fatigue overtakes me very soon – And that I have got into a maundering dawdling way which when I am apparently active renders my activity all but a fraud – But there is no use in these generalities – I will give an account of myself and of those who are near me & who influence my actions, by which at least some information may be given –

     The death of my poor nephew (great nephew you know) has brought his poor mother & aunt to London – They have taken lodgings near me – And have two nieces anxious that they should return to their former residence with my poor infirm brother – And this my niece has an extreme terror of – She excuses herself by the admitted fact that my brother is not in a condition to derive much if any positive pleasure from any society whatever – His life is one of poor ^all but^ mere insensibility and animal consciousness – he enjoys his food and he is free from pain – now & then he recognises those he sees – And  is not without some slight capacity of doing what those he knows, desire him to do – But those who are absent, are as nothing to him – he is easy in his temper, amiable in all his relations of life – And this is a great comfort – his temper is good And he makes no complaint – Could he be persuaded to leave Bury – all would be done that could be required But he is incapable of action – The old familiar faces – to use dear Lambs well known expression are not so much to him as the old familiar places – his Servant Edward is more to him than any of us – When I was at Bury lately, he knew me, but did not seem desirous of conversing with me. I have wasted more words than have been of any use in explaining my situation towards him – because it is the one circumstance on which every thing turns To speak of others now:

     Since Mrs Clarkson’s death, nothing has been done as to the settling of the affairs of her grandson – The marriage of Tom has been a source of great trouble to his mother – her husband Mr Dickinson, And Mr Buck the only one of the family who now remains of that generation – Mrs D sent you I dare say the obituary paragraph which appeared in the Bury paper And in which he is spoken of in that character – Both he and Mrs Dickinson are really excellent persons – but I fear they will not be found to have strength enough to opposite^e^ effectually the impulses of youth witht a guide or a restraint ^and aided by the constant presence of a young wife^ – It is melancholy to see so honourd a name possessed by One who without being worse than his companions yet has none of the qualities which gave him^s^ ^grandfather^ distinction among the patriots & philanthropists of the age.  I have just obtained from Mrs D. the minute books of the Society for the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade which Thomas Clarkson organised, & himself as it were constituted & renderd efficient. These I shall present to the <–> Trustees of the British Museum for preservation, as an historical document^s^. This Service was to have been renderd by Sir Robert Inglis – I shall have a satisfaction in doing it – As the preservation of these books was always a great point with me And was always also required by the Messrs Wilberforce in the Controversy you will not have forgotten –

5th April

     As you do not yourself read the Newspapers you may not perhaps have heard much about Sam Rogers’s Table-talk – This is Gossip taken down – An old man tales – The writer is Dyce – The Revd Editor of most of the famous Dramatists Shakespeares contemporaries – he is an acute man but he has shewn too great a willingness to put down any thing that might contribute to render the Vol: amusing And therefore more profitable to both publisher and editor – D: is so far an honest man, that he has no doubt been as correct as he could be – he has shewn no desire to calumniate but has not been as careful as he ought – in publishing nothing that could wound the feelings of a party whose peccadillo is thus betrayed – or of relations or defendants who may be hurt at the exposure of a narrow income or want of property in an ancestor  The law of a Gentlemans delicacy is much more prohibiting than the penal law of a civil court –

     The paintings & other works of fine art belongg to S: R: will be sold by Auction here very soon – And will sell if he is not tho’ I have no doubt very well – I hear no complaints of his will. as there It is said he has distributed his property among his Cousins & their children all of his own generation being reminded removed.  I saw him not long before his death – He was an object, not ^of^ contempt But of compassion. This must have been said by me before The Press have spoken with scandalous illiberality Oh that the World would feel the value of that great truth involved in the fine discrimination “malignant truth or lye”

     I heard lately of Miss Fenwick – It seems that she has not materially changed since I saw her – I cannot add to that account It is marvellous how a frame seemingly weak should be so enduring – You have a like instance nearly you No one supposed that Miss Martineau would have survived so long a time I understand that she continues to labour And whenever she does depart we shall I fear have further instances of that disregard of the discrimination before adverted to Perhaps there is no one Virtue more exposed to spurious exhibitions than Truth in the form of ostentatious and pharisaic love of truth As Coleridge has said – These are the complements not the inventions of malice

     I have not seen Moxon lately – But I shall see him soon I expect – Matthew Arnold is become a member of the Athenaeum I caught a glimpse of him lately – He was looking very happy – indeed in buoyant spirits – The Doctor’s spirits children have most of them – indeed all of them, done well In this sense too they have done him credit They have followed his Career as an Educator with credit – They have become nearly a family of School inspectors. Of the Twinings, I have no news to give – The mother is well in health – She is alarmed by her dimness of sight And your fate is a source of alarm to her – She like you has a comfort in her family. W T. I seldom see – The ladies are generally at home at the hours of making calls – I shall think myself fortune [sic] if I catch a sight of the Arnolds or any of them when they pass thro’ Southey’s Letters I have lookd over – Some are very pleasing But it is a sad spectacle when a mans family feelings & best affections towards his children are thus made a profit of – Turning Domestic virtues & friendships into Capital –

     You ask was I not startled by a late marr: An old bachelor does not presume to entertain any sentiment on such a subject – I was more startled I own And to a degree of displeasure at the Sermon preached against his own country And in favor of the enemy – I am sure his honourd father would not have sanctioned scarcely tolerated such a production But more than enough on such a subject – Thank God there is no longer an opportunity to let party-spirit over power – the love of liberty and of country combined. I own peace is good in itself – But I cannot rejoice even at a peace until I know on what terms it has been contracted – And that it does not justify the severe reproof you will well recollect – in words borrowed but wch perfectly expressed the thought of the great poet. Implying the fear that the ministry might be men who

                    Judge of danger which they fear

    And honour which they do not understand

The preacher rather hoped for what the poet deprecated –

  I must break off – Indeed I have over written myself

     My kindest remembces to your Sons & their families, those I know – To my few remaing friends the Fletchers &c Mr Carr &c

     I hope to make up for past inattention by better conduct in future. Mr Carter will take his share of thanks &c &c

                I am ever most affectionately your’s

                                        H. C. Robinson

Mrs Wordsworth

Moxon I have not seen lately – I have called repeatedly but he was not at home Indeed I am less of a caller than I used to be

Text: WLL, Robinson, Henry Crabb/37, Wordsworth Trust and Museum, Grasmere. Letter is framed in black, commemorating the death of Robinson’s great-nephew, Henry Robinson (1837-56) of Bury.