Henry Crabb Robinson, Athenaeum, London, to the Rev. John Miller, [Bockleton], [18 October 1856]. 

Athenaeum

(actually)

virtually

30 Russell Square

My dear Sir,

     I must lose no time in thanking you for your kind compliance with my request – I received the Vols: on Saturday – And to day your friendly letter which I to day acknowl: – I am too well pleased with you for consenting to accept of the little book to be in any danger of forgetting to fulfil my promise of sending it you. As it is not on account of any real worth in the thing that I shall send it you, but because it will do more to make me known to you then any thing else – And as I perceive with pleasure that I shall run no danger in so doing I mean to add some M: S: notes which will be real curiosities as revelations of character So that I shall send it by the train, not post office As any M. S. subjects the sender perhaps receives to a penalty – Some time may elapse first but that is of no consequence As this will probably be the last time I may ^shall^ ever allude to the occasion of this letter, that is the character of F: R: and the effect of his writings on differently constituted minds – You will I hope not think me pertinacious when I add that I reced a few days since from Mrs Wordsworth thro’ Mrs Hutchinson the mother of the young clergyman to whom you have proved so kind a friend And therefore she is warm in your praise. I would not therefore give any hint of what had your opinion of these Sermons, but asked her’s – of the Second Vol: -- the first I had read myself to them – Mrs W. answered Mr Carter has read them to me again & again with great satisfaction And they have been ^given^ great delight by many friends to whom I have lent them – Now my dear Sir do not suppose me capable of the impertinence of setting up these ladies or indeed any other ^persons^ as an authority against you on a question of taste or estimate of ability If R: had been admired only by Bunsen And the writers with whom you as it were bracket him As with characteristic acuteness, that I should never have mentioned him to you – But it was because I remarked that he has been more praised by the self styled Orthodox than by than by the suspected liberals – My main wish was, that you should know that I am capable of admiring & warmly loving the Sermons of a Church Divine whom other & numerous warm friends of the Church also love – I thought I should have some credit with you for having ^coming^ so near in approach to what you approve – One of your special hostile remarks I wish to notice; tho’ contrary to my original intention – Having lost unhappily your letter I cannot tell whether it applied to One Sermon in par[ticu]lar or the Sermons in general – “It seemed his main object to furnish an apology for scepticism” – This is certainly not an unfounded remark But in the sense in which I would understand Scepticism – Unhappily the English language wants a word expressive of doubt in a good sense as well as a bad one – I have lived much more with unbelievers & misbelievers and those of little faith – (a euphemy or none at all –) And I venture to say this with confidence That by nothing is unbelief so much promoted And the approach to real faith barred – As by treating reluctant & unwilling doubters as if they were criminals – This is an injustice as so great as to excite indignation and added to the practice of persecution on a great scale, has made more infidels than books of express infidelity – I say this seriously & confidently I could illustrate it by specific facts, which however is needless – It is but justice to Robertson to say that his effect on my mind was what you would call most salutary – Unless indeed ^you^ are one of those exigients [sic] who in a threatning tone adopt as their maxim All or nothing – which I would not hear your enemy say – uncontradicted –

     I say this – purely to relieve my own mind Owing it to Robertson whom I would not injure in the favorable opinion of any one –

     I have to beg your pardon for thus violating my own resolution – And I now consider the matter at an end adding my Sorrow that I shod have occasioned you the least pain whatever though an act of injudicious good nature –

    My best respects to your brother & Sister

                                &c &c &c

                                        H. C. Robinson

Revd John Miller

Text: WLL/2000.24.2.11, Wordsworth Trust and Museum, Grasmere. This letter can be dated from Robinson’s entry in his diary on 18 October 1856: ‘I also wrote to Jno Miller. Confessing that it was I who sent him the Sermons of Robertson 2 vols I thought my letter a very poor one in composn And in no respect good I shall probably soon have an answer – And I am curious rather than anxious abot his recognition of my present – I shall revert to the subject again – If Miller like R: it will be a very great proof of excellence on his part –’. Miller will soon respond to Robinson, but not with a favorable impression of Robertson, much to Robinson’s dismay (see below, letter 59).