William Wordsworth

One word about Wordsworth. In his last letter to me he said that Alaric Watts had a prior claim. "Only," quoth he, "Watts says I go about depreciating other Annuals out of regard for the Keepsake." This is untrue. I only said, "as the Keepsake paid poets best, it would be the best work." This is not depreciating! He advised me, before he knew who were to be my contributors [to the Anniversary], not to think of rivalry in literature with the Keepsake. Enough of a little man and a great poet. His poetic sympathies are warm, but his heart, for any manly purpose, as cold as a December snail.