Letter from William Wordsworth, Grasmere, to Sir George Beaumont, 1808 April 8 : autograph manuscript signed.

Concerning his time in London, the health of Coleridge, and the health of his family in Grasmere; saying he "...heard Coleridge lecture twice and he seemed to give great satisfaction; but he was not in spirits, and suffered much during the course of the week both in body and mind;" saying that he and Coleridge "availed ourselves of your Letter to Lawrence, and saw Mr. Angerstein's pictures...the great picture of Michael Angelo's Sebastian pleased me more than ever, the new Rembrandt has, I think, much , very much, to admire, but still more to wonder at, rather than admire; I have seen many pictures of Rembrant which I should prefer to it. The light in the depth of the Temple is far the finest part of it; indeed it is the only part of the picture which gives me any high pleasure; but that does highly please me;" expressing his hope that his new house will be ready in May as "...we are sadly cooped up here, particularly at this time, Miss H. being ill, and John also very poorly in a kind of influenza going about among children...;" asking for his opinion on Havill's drawing of Rydale; describing his walk through London after having left Coleridge early in the morning; saying he "...walked towards the City in a very thoughtful and melancholy state of mind; I had passed through Temple Bar and by St. Dunstan's, noticing nothing, and entirely occupied with my own thoughts, when looking up, I saw before me the avenue of Fleet street, silent, empty, and pure white, with a sprinkling of new-fallen snow, not a cart or Carriage to obstruct the view, no noise, only a few soundless and dusky foot-passengers, here and there; you remember the elegant curve of Ludgate Hill in which this avenue would terminate, and beyond and towering above it was the huge and majestic form of St. Paul's, solemnised by a thin veil of falling snow. I cannot say how much I was affected at this unthought-of-sight, in such a place and what a blessing I felt there is in habits of exalted Imagination. My sorrow was controlled, and my uneasiness of mind not quieted and relieved altogether, seemed at once to receive the gift of an anchor of security;"; relating the comments of a passenger on his coach to Grasmere, who asked, when he heard "Grasmere" mentioned, if that was not where Wordsworth lived;' "...I answered, 'Yes, ' - He has written, said he, some very beautiful Poems; the Critics do indeed cry out against them, and condemn them as over simple, but for my part I read them with great pleasure, they are natural and true;" sending his regards to Lady Beaumont.