Henry Crabb Robinson, Bury St. Edmunds, to William Ayrton, 19 April [?].

My dear Ayrton

     I write merely to thank you for your friendly & forbearing letter.   

     As to the tomorrow meeting – The attending there is impossible in the present state of the East: Counties Rail Ways  I am engaged to a late dinner And might have been present at the beginning of your meeting at all events if we had, as we probably may have one day, a train that will carry us through in 2 ½ hours.

     As to Thursday – I have always left it uncertain – whether I should or not think it expedient to take a share in the forthcoming conflict – And when invited a few days back to meet on Thursday my  [f. 84v] old acquaintance the widow of Dr Malkin whom I thank you must have known in the days of Jacobinism, I accepted the invitation with a reserve – But this of itself is an Item in the balance of inducements pro & con – She is an interesting person whom I shall not otherwise see, for she comes on Tuesday Evening & leaves probably on Saturday.  In all these cases, the probability of success enter into the account quite as much as the merits of the parties – And I am afraid that in this case those of the opposition are few – My hopes sunk when I read “Sir W. B. to be in the chair” I have not a word to say against Sir W: as a Gentleman or Companion He is a [f. 85r] very friendly  And to me an unexceptional man, but you are surely aware that it is not possible for any one to stand lower as an antiquary or scholar – I was told by one of the most eminent of the  Continental Scholars perhaps the very first now that Niebuhr is gone – “He is really to be laughed at, not reasoned with” – This is probably an exaggeration of a Teuton hostile to a Celt – But I fear he has no partisans – The exclusion of A.  Way (not that I disapprove of it personally,) is I fear an unfavorable circumstance – It at once coupled with the prominence of R: Smith (who has injured his cause by rudeness tho’ a man I very much respect) & P– really will make it a contest between the Acct: Institute & the Acct: Association [f. 85v] Now knowing as you do how basely subservient men are to rank & title And restricting that on the late contest the Association would not muster a third; you cannot hope that they can muster now a half  Therefore I should have striven if possible to break up the opposition of those two parties on this occasion, which I fear is impossible. All this for your good natured & private consideration  I shall hope to see something in the Tuesdays Times or Chronicle – But I have not yet seen the Advertisement in the Times I looked for it Thursday & Friday in vain.

     Kind remembrances to your Son & Daughter

                  &c &c &c

                     H. C. Robinson

W. Ayrton Esqr

Text: Aryton Collection, Add. MS. 52341, f. 84, British Library.