Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to Elizabeth Reid, 21 York Terrace, Sunday evening, undated. 

30 Russell Square

W. C.

Sunday Eveng

My dear Mrs Reid.

       I had fully intended to come to you to day And at once therefore declined to accept a kind invitation from Mrs Bayne to lunch with them to day –

      But I have been forced to abandon the idea, tho’ I have hazarded one for tomorrow equally hopeless owing to special inducements

       No wonder – I have already & entered on my 91st year And lived a week longer than my brother did So that I ought not to be otherwise than contented with my lot –

       Indeed I hope I am not – unbecomingly discontented

     Generally speaking I have been somewhat worse than I was – in more than one respect My giddiness has encreased And the medical men I have consulted give me no information as to the nature of my maladies

       As soon as I can manage to come into your immediate neighbourhood I shall call – the first article in to days Topicks in the Spectator is a wise & considerate Contemplation of the new Phase’s of the Cause of Liberty in America –

       You know I am no Unionist after all – And when Slavery is finally abolished I should [think] it good for both the new & old World that that immense Continent should not be under the single government of One Individual And he being chosen by numerous democracies under a Constitution proved to have no security agt the most deplorable of calamities abuses –

       My kindest of remembrances to your Sister

                                    very truly yours

                                                H. C. Robinson

P.S.  Monday Morning

There was no use in sending this off last night And there is nothing gained by staying till the post comes in as I am without a correspondent – But I have had great pleasure in reading the Review of Landor’s Life & Works in a publication of which I know not even the publ title – It has brought many interesting thoughts to my mind <–> from which they were greatly faded  He was a man of great genius & at the same time of marvellous folly & absurdity Donne characterized him happily when his own epitaph was read repeated to Mr D— Instead of proposed this

<–>

Under this stone lies Walter Savage Landor

Who half an Eagle was and half a Gander

Postmarked: 17 July 1865 London W.C. 

Text:  BC/RF/103/4/30, Archives, Royal Holloway University of London.