Addressed to Lady Beaumont, "Grosvenor Square, London", crossed out and forwarded to "Keswick, Cumberland".
On verso of letter near address panel "Deportration on Poetry WW".
Dated "Tuesday, May 21st 1807".
Stamped "Ashby de la Zouch".
Original paper seal with wax.
Watermark: indistinguishable.
Part of the Coleorton Papers; see collection-level record for more information.
Thanking Lady Beaumont for her interest in his Poems [Poems in Two Volumes]; talking about other people's opinions on poetry, good, bad, and selfishness; discussing the recent publication of his poems; expressing his views on some of his poetry; adding that he has heard, based on her last letter, that Mrs. Fermor has begun reading "Moods of my own mind"; basing corrections and thinking off of Mrs. Fermor's opinion; giving information regarding a misprint in a sonnet "I will only observe that there is a misprint in the last line but two, 'And tough this wilderness' for 'And through this wilderness'--that makes it unintelligible"; quoting "Paradise lost" by Milton; describing how he is represented in the sonnet; detailing parts of a poem about ships and his thought process; sharing his pleasure in knowing that he and Mrs. Fermor have the same mindset, which she showed through her displeasure with his 14 line poem and her singling out two poems, "Daffodils" and the "Rock crowned with snowdrops"; sharing Mrs. Fermor's remarks on his poetry, with specific lines for examples; showing his belief that "they are altogether incompetent judges. These people in the senseless hurry of their idle lives do not read books, they merely snatch a glance at them that they may talk about them. And even if this were not so, never forget what I believe was observed to you by Coleridge, that every great and original writer, in proportion as he is great or original, must himself create the taste by which he is to be relished; he must teach the art by which he is to be seen; this in a certain degree, even to all person, however wise and pure their lives, and however unvitiated their taste; but for those who dip into books in order to give an opinion of them, or talk about them to take up an opinion-for this multitude of unhappy, and misguided, and misguided beings, an entire regeneration must be produced; and if this be possible, it must be a word of time"; concluding that he has no doubt that she shares his confidence in his writing; sending his regards to Sir George; (postscript) expressing that he regrets his sister did not press it upon her that in Lady B's last letter she said they would not be able to come before the first week in June; saying that they may think fondly of Grasmere, but do not miss it and rather are sad to think about leaving Coleorton; adding that he could not be satisfied without seeing her at Coleorton during his visit, so he will happily wait.