2897. Robert Southey to John Rickman [fragment], [c. 13 January 1817]
2897. Robert Southey to John Rickman [fragment], [c. 13 January 1817] *
My dear R
Herewith the conclusion of the volume goes, – no small comfort to have finished, – tho’ another remains to be done. [1] But I am in good heart & shall hold on till the end of the race.
The notes are ready & I want only for the remainder of the sheets to fit these in – as far as this can be done I shall send them off without delay.
I have a box of most important peninsular papers from M. Wellesleys secretary, Sydenham, – letters of Ld Wellington among them, [MS missing]xcellent matter. [2] My brother Tom is here – assisting me in getting at [MS missing]tents
God bless you,
RS.
[MS missing] 1817
Notes
* Address: To/ John Rickman Esqre/ St Stephens Court/ New Palace Yard/
Westminster
Stamped: [partial] KE
Postmark: [partial] FREE/ JA 13/
1817
Endorsement: RS./ March 1817
MS: Huntington Library, RS 303. ALS;
2p.
Unpublished.
Dating note: Dating from postmark. BACK
[2] Benjamin Sydenham (1777–1828), soldier in India, friend of Marquess Wellesley and Commissioner of the Board of Excise 1809–1819. He had sent Southey the papers of his brother, Thomas Sydenham (1780–1816), who had served in Spain 1811–1812 before becoming Minister Plenipotentiary at Lisbon 1814–1816. Sydenham’s papers were to assist Southey in writing his History of the Peninsular War (1823–1832). BACK
