Crabbe's sympathy with the family, shown in his tribute to the sailor-brother appended to the poem he was then bringing to completion, still further strengthened the tie between them.

Crabbe accompanied the Duke to London soon after, to assist him in arranging with Stothard for a picture to be painted of the incident of Lord Robert's death.

It was during this visit that Crabbe received the following letter from Burke.
The letter is undated, but belongs to the month of May, for _The Village_ was published in that month, and Burke clearly refers to that poem as just received, but as yet unread.

Crabbe seems to have been for the time off duty, and to have proposed a short visit to the Burkes;-- "Dear Sir,--I do not know by what unlucky accident you missed the note I left for you at my house.

I wrote besides to you at Belvoir.