Letter from E.H. Cradock, Grasmere, to William Angus Knight, 1879 September 27 : autograph manuscript signed.

Commenting on Matthew Arnold's collection of Wordsworth poems and offering notes to Knight for a possible second edition of his book on the Lake District and Wordsworth; saying "I met Matthew Arnold yesterday & had some talk about his book. - I told him that I could have well spared the poem about the boy and the weather-cock [Anecdote for Fathers) & one or two more - and greatly regretted the absence of 'the Sheepboy whistled aloud' [Elegaic verses in memory of my Brother John Wordsworth], a poem which he did not seem to know well. The omission of the 'Poets Epitaph' is a pure accident greatly regretted by Arnold...I am half inclined to forgive the omission of the 'Power of Sound'; enclosing notes for a possible second edition of Knight's book; saying "The point as to the Firs by the Church may be considered a certainty. The great Scotch firs were far nearer to the Tower then the silver firs or (?spruces) by the Lich-gate which moreover were by no means noticeable trees. There has been a pretty fair sale of the book at Grasmere & there could have been more, but for the slackness of the season, and the epidemic shortness of money;" adding that he will remain there until the 6th and then return to Oxford.