Letter from Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Highgate, to Mrs. Morgan, 1826 October 2 : autograph manuscript signed.

Concerning her desire to hire a tutor; asking her for more information with regard to her request for a recommendation of someone from Christ's Hospital whom she could employ as a tutor; defining the various terms of student categories at Christ's Hospital and the employment Grecians and Deputy Grecians might qualify for upon leaving school; saying that he had a young man who was a First Grecian visiting him when her letter arrived but he knew of no one who might be able to take the position she was offering; explaining to her the reasons why a current student may be prohibited from taking on the position except, perhaps, during school holidays; adding that as she has "...not spoken of any terms - or of the particular times, whether daily, or every other day -. But while the practicability of the thing itself - that is, in relation to Christ's Hospital, and its Nurslings - is so questionable, it would have been perhaps premature to enter into particulars - And I am so utter a Recluse, and so out of the way of hearing of any one likely to suit you, that I could only cause inquiries to be made at some of the Preparatory Schools in or near Highgate, if they knew & could recommend a person - And what would this be? I should know nothing of the Recommenders - or what reliance was to be placed on their word or judgement...;" adding that Mrs. Gillman is not well and he is "...worse than usual, from want of rest at night, the consequence of a very distressing local irritation connected with some affection of the lower Bowel, for which my medical friends expect no alleviation but by change of Scene & Salt-water Hot Bathing. - At length, by the kindness of two or three friends, this has been rendered practicable - & I shall leave Highgate for Ramsgate in a few days;' concluding "Would that I had myself set about my scheme of the Domestic Tutor - instead of leaving it to poor dear Hartley who had promised to fill it up - You would not then have needed a Latin Tutor. Any sensible Mother, who could read, might without difficulty have prepared a Boy from his 6th or 7th to his ninth year for either of the Public Schools, so as that in his 9th year he might be put to his Sallust, Terence &c - or what is called the 5th Form at Eton;" sending his love to Charlotte.