Autograph letter signed : Great Malvern, to William Angus Knight, 1891 January 24.

Pointing out an error in a footnote in Knight's "Life of Wordsworth;" saying "There is, however, a footnote at p. 256 of Vol. XI, to which I should like to call your attention (if you will kindly permit me to do so) as I cannot but think that it is founded on some mistake. In explanation of an extract from a letter of Wordsworth to Moxon (Jan. 4th 1836) in which he speaks contemptuously of a certain book 'about Coleridge', you say 'Evidently Table Talk of S.T. Coleridge London, 1835.' - meaning I conclude the well known 'Table Talk', edited by my father, Henry Nelson Coleridge, as I never heard of any other. But it is quite certain this cannot be the work referred to in the letter, as, in the first place, Mr. Wordsworth speaks of 'the two volumes about Coleridge', whereas the Table Talk was never in more than one (See the Dedication to Mr.and Mrs. Gilliman, 'to whom this volume is gratefully inscribed.' Secondly, the remark in the letter about 'the truth scraped together' by the editor, & 'the pain given to living persons', are obviously inapplicable to the content of the Table Talk which are a record of S.T.C.'s opinions, chiefly about books & abstract matters, avoiding all personalities. Besides, I feel sure that Mr. W. would never have spoken of my father as a man 'without judgment', who had not 'sagacity' enough to distinguish between telling all the truth and telling nothing but what is true. I think there is no doubt that the book Mr. W. was speaking of to my Uncle Southey in that letter was the 'Recollections of S.T. Coleridge' by Joseph Cottle, the Bristol publisher, a well-meaning but injudicious person, which appeared about that time, & gave a great deal of vexation to S.T.C's friends & relations, in consequence of its imprudent disclosures. Mr. Southey speaks thus of this publication, now long forgotten in a letter to Mr. Moxon July 19, 1839 - 'Of late I have seen much of myself in a way that others painfully brings back the past: Sir Walter's Memoir first, then Joseph Cottle's 'Recollections' of so many things which had better have been forgotten; & now these Memorials of poor Charles Lamb. / Life of Southey Vol. IX, p. 335. / I am sure you will understand my feeling of regret that anyone should be led to suppose that Mr. Wordsworth entertained an unfavourable opinion of my father's Specimen of the Table Talk of Coleridge."