“I have to relate—that I yesterday had 2 letters sent me to read to Mr M—— in one there was mention of a critique which had been sent upon M.[anfred] & a request to have part of it which had by mistake been omitted & which alluded to the ‘origin of this dreadful story’—that ‘whoever the Critic might be he was mistaken as he had a foundation for it which for ye Soul of him he could not divine’—I may not give you the words exactly—but that was the sense of the paragraph—& I don’t think there is any remedy for the object of his persecution—but it often occurs to me, that it is impossible any longer to remain silent to him—& only the fear of encreasing the evil has hitherto kept me so—sometimes I am inclined to remain so—& leave all to Providence—& yet I think it is wrong not to do any thing in one’s power to avert evils, at least any thing that is not wrong—& for my children’s sake I am more anxious than for myself individually.”
