The idea however is beautiful, and it is beautifully worked." Then follows some verbal criticism which need not be transcribed.
Going on to the seventh stanza he says, "In the third line of it, she loses her antithesis.

She must spoil her man, as well as make a poet out of him--spoil him as the reed is spoilt.

Should we not read the lines thus:-- "'Yet one half beast is the great god Pan Or he would not have laughed by the river.
Making a poet he mars a man; The true gods sigh,' &c."?
In justice to my brother's memory I must say that this was not written to me with any such presumptuous idea as that of offering his criticism to the poetess.

But I showed the letter to Isa Blagden, and at her request left it with her.

A day or two later, she writes to me: "Dear friend,--I send you back your criticism and Mrs.B.'s rejoinder.
She _made_ me show it to her, and she wishes you to see her answer." Miss Blagden's words would seem to imply that she thought the criticism mine.