With the greatest respect,
I am, Sir,
Your very obdt. servant
John Forster.
After Crabbe's death the following almost illegible draft of a reply was found amongst his papers:—
It wd ill become me who have been so greatly [much] indebted to the kindness of my Friends, that [I should refuse to do what I could] disregard [not respond to] the application you are so good as to make on behalf of Mr. Leigh Hunt. My influence I fear is small [living] residing as, I do, where little except Cloth is made, little except Newspapers read. This is, however, not without exceptions. [It is] I consider it as doing myself Honour to join [however feebly] my [name with those endeavouring] attempt to serve I am Sir —— History had repeated itself, only the rôles were reversed. In 1832 the benefactor was Crabbe, and the distressed man of letters Hunt! I have elected to speak of Burke amongst the writers, although he can claim a high place amongst the statesmen. His letters are always valuable, although the price fetched for two exceptionally fine specimens at the Haber Sale (New York, December 10, 1909) was disappointing. A long letter, written in his twentieth year, brought only £4 8s.; a splendid letter from Bath a short time before his death was sold for £6 8s. The following letter from Edmund Burke to Mrs. Montagu (one of many I have the good fortune to possess) has a distinct vein of American interest:— Westminster, Dear Madam,—I was in hopes, that I might have sent you, together with my acknowledgement for your kindness, the only reward you desire for acts of friendship, an account of the full effect of them. Mrs. James's letter was undoubtedly what it ought to be on application from you. We have nothing to complain of Mrs. J. in point of civility but there is no further result of your indisposition. As yet indeed we do not despair. But to give the application its full effect on him, if in answer to Mrs. J. you keep the matter in some degree alive, I do not question but that it will succeed at last. Almost all the others are secure. I cannot at all express how much obliged I am for the extremely friendly manner in which you take up my friends Mr. Burke's case. He is himself as sensible, as he is worthy of your goodness. It is something to be distinguished by the regards of those who regard but few. But to have a distinguished part in the mind where all have their places is much more flattering.
May 4 1776, Friday.