Autograph letter signed with initials : [London], to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "Thursday" [1844 June 6].

Concerning critical reactions to his book and the proof and Preface for her book; saying, of her Preface, "I caught sight of some fine stuff - in the good old Saxon sense of stuff, and think your Imagination has made some great advances. You aim high, and justify it. I should be too sorry to think or fancy that Tennyson was at all in the state of mind of many others of the 'New Spirit'. It is not his habit to write notes - he hardly ever does write a note. I never expected it. But from some, I thought it w'd have been friendly; and when (on the contrary) I learned that they were not pleased and had a considerable coldness towards me, I thought as poorly of them (as men) as they deserved.;" listing the writers who wrote kindly of his work and adding "But there is an evil clique at work, and several have been 'made to see' that however highly praised, the faults mentioned were injurious &c &c[.]; continuing to list writers be believes have reacted well to his work.