“ Colvin had the virtues and the limitations of the academic mind, and his books are cultivated, careful, and thorough rather than inspiring. His most attractive quality was his loyal constancy to his friends, whom he was never tired of helping and encouraging. The most famous of them was Stevenson, to whom, when poor and unknown, he rendered invaluable service; and if later on it became rather foible of Colvin's to discover young and unappreciated talent, it was at a generous and kindly foible. ”

“ The friendship between Colvin and Stevenson lasted until the death of the latter in 1894; its history is told in the Vailima Letters and the volumes of Stevenson's correspondence which were published by Colvin in 1895, 1899 and 1911. How much the younger man felt and valued his older friend's care and advice found expression in the poem "To ——," which appeared in the "Songs of Travel," published after his death. In a letter of April, 1886, Stevenson wrote of this poem that it was "a little too intimate as between you and me. ”

“ In 1884 Colvin was appointed Keeper of the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum. This involved his severing his connexion with the Fitzwilliam Museum, though he continued to hold the Slade Professorship until 1885. During his later years at Cambridge he had published an essay on Flaxman's life and genius and a life of Landor, followed by a selection from Landor's works. Colvin's studies and experience at Cambridge proved of great value to his work as Keeper of the National Collection of Prints and Drawings. ”