William Wordsworth to R. P.Gillies, 23 November 1814: 'I have to thank you ... for Egbert, which is pleasingly and vigorously written, and proves that with a due sacrifice of exertion, you will be capable of performing things that will have a strong claim on the regards of posterity. But keep, I pray you, to the great models; there is in some parts of this tale, particuarly page fourth, too much of a bad writer - Lord Byron ... towards the conclusion, the intervention of the peasant is not only unnecessary, but injurious to the tale ... '