2857. Robert Southey to Herbert Hill, 29 October 1816
2857. Robert Southey to Herbert Hill, 29 October 1816*
Keswick. 29 Oct. 1816.
The Jornal de Coimbra [1] supplies xxx but a scanty list of desiderata, [2] – as you will perceive on the last other leaf. But I find in it promise of good things which will in due time appear in the publications of the Academy. [3] They have had presented to them O Livro da Virtuosa Benfeitoria – a work by the Infante D Pedro [4] : three volumes of Dissertaçoens sobre a Hist Ecclesiastica de Portugal, por Joam Pedro xxx Ribeiro [5] – a letter from Pedro vaz Camenha to King D Emanuel relating the discovery of Brazil, [6] & a ms. concerning as xxx Hist das cousas do Brazil by Pedro de Magalhaens Gandavo. [7] – I must find out some person who has connections with the Rio to procure for me the Patriota, [8] – perhaps Gooden can do it.
This evening I send off to Rickman a farther portion of copy. I am now in the miscellaneous chapter which concludes the volume, [9] – One volume of the Pinheiro Collection (as for xxx convenience I call the set in nine volumes from the name of the Desembargador to whom they originally belonged) [10] – is rich in papers respecting Maranham, & from these I have collected much information for this concluding chapter, as well as for the general history. A good deal of matter will be found in it gathered from very various sources. Gooden lent me a life of Gomes Freyre [11] (the best of the name) in two <small> volumes, – by Fr. Domingo Teyxeyra [12] author of a folio life of the Grande Condestatore which I have here. [13] The author is an imitator of Jacintho Freyre de Andrada, [14] xxx an original the xxx whose reputation is much beyond his deserts. But this life of G. Freyre tho written in a very affected stile has been very useful to me, & contains some interesting matter.
The volume will I think, sans doubt, be published in January, & I shall go to press forthwith with the concluding one. Koster may very probably be of use in collecting some documents of later times, – tho Pernambuco is perhaps the worst place for finding them. However if nothing should come from that quarter I have materials enough to carry on a connected narrative. – I think I mentioned to you in my last that there is a collection of laws respecting the Indians which it is indispensable to have, – & which I cannot have too soon. [15]
My affairs with Longman are in a good state, & for the first time the yearly account xxx exhibits me on the right side of his books. The edition of the Pilgrimage [16] was exhausted in two months, – giving me a profit of 215£. I shall probably have the Tale of Paraguay for publication in the spring, [17] – which will form a volume of the same size, [18] – & by the help of some drawings which Nash [19] is making for me, of the same price. One of these is a view of the Church of a Reduction with the contiguous buildings, – made up from an abominable plan in Peramas, [20] – but it looks well when reduced to Peramas, & enlivened with figures. A Jesuit will be another for which here is a whole length print of Vieyra [21] to give us the exact costume.
My summer, for so it must be called by the courtesy of England, has been much interrupted, – but on the whole I have got thro a good deal of work, & the winter (if nothing unforeseen should occur to prevent) will be still more productive.
I have sent for Thevenots Coll. of Voyages [22] from a Catalogue – & shall be glad if they are not already sold. – There is a voyage to Brazil by old Atkins the surgeon of the Weymouth which I have looking for these last ten years in vain. [23]
Murray has sent for my perusal a very interesting history of the Spanish Inquisition by Llorenti one of its Ex–Secretaries, to whom all its papers were committed after its suppression. [24] I hope it may be printed. It arrived only on Sunday so that as yet I have read only a few chapters. Among other curious extracts from the correspondence of Charles 5th [25] Ambassador at Rome, is one in which he advises the Emperor to frighten the Pope by showing some little favour towards one Martin Luther, of whom he says the Pope is very much afraid. [26] The publication of this book can scarcely fail of doing good even in Spain, compiled as it is from such unquestionable documents, & the author professing himself, with apparent sincerity, a Catholic.
Blanco has been admitted into the English Church, & is now residing at Holland House as tutor to one of Lord H’s sons. [27]
Love to my Aunt & the boys – I hope Edward goes on well at school. – Here we are doing well, save only that I am kept within doors by a sprained ankle, – but a day or two more will set me free again
God bless you
RS.
A Serra de Cintra. poesia. [28]
Memorias para a vida da Beata Mafalda Rainha de Castella &c. obra inedita de Fr.
Bernardo de Brito [29]
Evora Lastimosa &c. Memoria Historica &c – pelo P Jose Joaquim da Silva [30]
Descripçaõ Topographica de Villa Nova de Gaya &c. por Joam Antonio Monteiro e Azevedo. [31]
Obra Poetica de D. Joanna Margarida Mancia Ribeiro da Silva, em que descrive a sua vida [32]
O Oriente – Poema de Jose Agostinho de Macedo. [33]
Compilaçam das Ordens do Dia do Quartet General do Exercito Portuguez. [34]
Santuario Mariano par P. F Agostinho de Santa Maria. [35]
Notes
* Address: To/ The Reverend Herbert Hill/ Streatham/ Surry
Stamped: KESWICK/
298
Postmarks: [partial] o’Clock/ NO 1/ 18 FNn; E/ 1 NO 1/ 1816
MS: Keswick Museum and Art Gallery, WC 157.
ALS; 4p.
Unpublished. BACK
[1] Southey owned an 8–volume set of the Jornal de Coimbra (1812–1820), no. 3498 in the sale catalogue of his library. BACK
[2] See the list at the end of this letter. The desired materials were to aid Southey’s researches for his History of Brazil (1810–1819). BACK
[5] João Pedro Ribeiro (1758–1839), Dissertações Cronológicas e Criticas sobre a Historia e Jurisprudência Ecclesiástica e Civil de Portugal (1798–1810), no. 3713 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. BACK
[6] One of the earliest surviving documents describing the discovery of Brazil, Pêro Vaz de Caminha’s (c. 1450–1500) letter of 1 May 1500 to Manuel I (1469–1521; King of Portugal 1495–1521) was placed in the Portuguese national archives, the Torre do Tombo. BACK
[7] Pêro de Magalhães Gândavo (1540–c. 1580), História da Província de Santa Cruz que Vulgarmente Chamamos Brasil (1576). BACK
[8] O Patriota, Jornal Litterario, Politico, Mercantil &c do Rio de Janeiro (1813–1814), no. 3641 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. In History of Brazil, 3 vols (London, 1810–1819), III, pp. v–vi, Southey thanked John May for procuring the third volume of O Patriota for him, ‘when it was not to be obtained at Lisbon’. BACK
[10] Possibly the 9 volumes of manuscript material described as ‘Papeis Varias Politicos’ (1674), no. 3852 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. BACK
[13] Vida de Nuno Alvares Pereyra, Segundo Condestavel de Portugal (1723), no. 3795 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. This was a life of St Nuno Alvares Pereira (1360–1431), hero of Portuguese independence, known as the ‘Great Constable’ from the office he held in the Portuguese Court. BACK
[14] Jacinto Freire de Andrade (1597–1657), priest, poet and biographer, who wrote Vida de Dom João de Castro Quarto Viso-Rei da Índia (1651), no. 3385 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. BACK
[15] The Rules of the Missions were promulgated in 1686 and set out the terms on which the Jesuit mission stations (‘Reductions’) would operate in Brazil. They were published as Regimento e Leis Sobre as Missões do Estado do Maranhaõ e Parà e Sobre a Liberdade dos Indios (1724). BACK
[18] The Tale of Paraguay (1825) ran to 217 pages, compared to 232 pages for The Poet’s Pilgrimage to Waterloo (1816) and both books were retailed for 10s. 6d. Only 1500 copies of the Tale were printed, though, and the book sold slowly. BACK
[19] The Tale of Paraguay (1825) featured two illustrations by Richard Westall (1765–1836; DNB) but none by Nash, who died in 1821. BACK
[20] Josephus Emmanuel Peramas (1732–1793), De Vita et Moribus Sex Sacerdotum et Tredecim Variorum Paraguaycorum (1791), no. 2209 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. This idea was not used in the printed version of The Tale of Paraguay (1825). BACK
[21] Antonio Vieira (1608–1697), the Brazilian-born Jesuit. The second print in The Tale of Paraguay (1825) featured a Jesuit priest. BACK
[22] Jean de Thévenot (1633–1667), Relation de Divers Voyages Curieux qui n’ont point este Publices, ou qui ont este traduites d’Hakluyt, de Purchas, et Autres (1663–1672), no. 2675 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. BACK
[23] The naval surgeon John Atkins (bap. 1685, d. 1757; DNB). He published accounts of his travels as A Voyage to Guinea, Brasil and the West Indies (1735). It contained little about Brazil, and although it implied that Atkins had published another work on his voyage to Brazil, there was no earlier volume on this subject. BACK
[24] Juan Antonio Llorente (1756–1823), Histoire Critique de l’Inquisition d’Espagne (1817–1818), no. 1738 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. Llorente was Secretary-General to the Inquisition at Madrid 1789–1794, but supported the French-backed regime of 1808–1813 and was given control of the Inquisition’s archive. No English translation appeared until 1826. BACK
[25] Juan Manuel (d. 1543), Ambassador to the Papacy 1520–1522 for Charles V (1500–1558; Holy Roman Emperor 1519–1556). BACK
[26] Histoire Critique de l’Inquisition d’Espagne, 4 vols (Paris, 1817–1818), I, pp. 398–399. Martin Luther (1483–1546) was the founder of the Reformation in Germany. The Pope who was worried about Luther was Leo X (1475–1521; Pope 1513–1521). BACK
[27] White tutored Henry Edward Fox (1802–1859; DNB), later 4th Baron Holland, son of Lord Holland in 1815–1817. White had signed the Church of England’s Thirty-Nine Articles on 10 August 1814. BACK
[29] Fortunato de Sao Boaventura (1778–1844), Memorias para a Vida da Beata Mafalda, Rainha de Castella (1814). BACK
[30] José Joaquim da Silva (dates unknown), Évora Lastimosa pela Deplorável Catastrofe do Fatal Triduo de 29, 30 e 31 de Julho de 1808 (1809–1814). BACK
[31] João Antonio Monteiro Azevedo (dates unknown), Descripção Topographica de Villa Nova de Gaya (1808). BACK
[32] Joana Margarida Mancia Ribeiro da Silva (dates unknown), Obra Poetica em que Descreve a sua Vida (1815). BACK
[33] José Agostinho de Macedo (1761–1831), O Oriente (1814), no. 3420 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. BACK
