3103. Robert Southey to William Peachy, 24 March 1818⁠* 

Keswick. 24 March. 1818

My dear Sir

We are glad to hear of you after so long an interval, & should have been more glad if your letter had contained a more favourable account of M^rs Peachy. But better weather, I trust, may soon be expected, & sunshine a course of sunshine assist the effects of Bath & sea bathing. – One day has past so much like another with us since your departure, that months seem scarcely so long as weeks were in the days of our youth, – M^r Westall is the only person whom we have seen <see>, & he talks of shortly visiting London, Miss Barker has been in Borrodale for the last four months; – her brother Frederick (father of the little boy whom she has taken) died of a fever almost immediately upon his arrival at Montreal; – & she has hardly yet recovered from the shock of this unexpected intelligence. [1]  It was her friend Miss Fletcher who took that Lovers leap in the cart; how she the Lady, the horse, or the Cart escaped utter demolition is to me inconceivable, – they made their flying descent just beyond the Bowder Stone, [2]  immediately after going thro the gate, – & yet no injury whatever was sustained.

Senhouse’s coachman [3]  called here some weeks ago, & said that his Master would visit Netherhall in April. I do not know where he is at present; but he was in London about eight & or nine weeks ago, as I learnt from M^r Nash; – & perhaps Nash (who lives at N^o 6. George Street, Hanover Square) can tell you where he is now.

Sir Henry Bunbury wrote to me immediately after he had seen you, & invited me to his house in Suffolk that I might look over his papers, [4]  & obtain such information as his official opportunities, & personal knowledge enabled him to give me. Of this invitation I probably shall avail myself toward the close of the year, if we both live as <so> long, & no unforeseen impediment should arrive. His papers will not relate to the two first years of the war, & therefore I shall not need them till that time. as It happened oddly enough that the da very day after I had received his letter, there came another inviting me into the same country upon precisely the same grounds, – it was from Major Edward Moore, author of a book upon the mythology of the Hindoos. [5]  He has in his possession a copious corresp collection of letters from some relation in Ld Wellingtons army.

M^r Fleming of Ray rigg (so I think the name of his place sounds, however it may be spelt) is the person who was so nearly murdered by the mob at Kendal. I believe in the history of electioneering (which would not be a very honourable history for England or for human nature) it would be difficult to find a worse instance of the ferocious spirit <of faction> than was exhibited in that little town, – for the rabble knew that they were attacking men who were not only highly respectable private characters, – but who were their neighbours, & benefactors. [6]  But they have been sucking the venom of a rascally newspaper for several years past, [7]  & the effects have now shown themselves. We are out of the sphere of the contest & I know nothing more about it than what I learnt the other day from Calvert. He understands that Brougham can only reckon upon £4000 which Lord Thanet [8]  supplies – & this will not go far in a county election, especially when the contest is begun five or six months before the Dissolution.

Our winter has been unusually mild & the hurricane with which you have been visited in London & in the West did not extend to us. We have had for some weeks past, a succession of windy weather, but no violent storms. – Calvert has been placing his eldest son at Harrow chiefly I believe by Captain Warners [9]  advice: & John, he tells me, is working very eagerly to recover lost time, having much to learn & much to unlearn. – I must not say that we are going on as usual here, for Mrs Lovell is very much worse than she has ever been in any former winter; – she has now scarcely any intervals of apparent amendment & is emaciated & much changed. It seems to be one of those cases in which there is some obscure organic derangement, & no hope.

You were unlucky in not having hit that debate upon the Indemnity Bill in which Canning gave Brougham & Co a tremendous castigation. [10]  I would it were as easy to counteract their mischief out of doors, as it is to expose their folly & their fallacies, & to trample upon them in argument. However the Suspension Bill has done its work for a while, & with a little vigilance the country may now be kept quiet.

For myself I keep close to my desk. You may have traced me in the account of Lope de Vega in the last Q R. [11]  I am getting on rapidly with the last volume of Brazil, [12]  which in point of labour will be my opus majus – I shall soon be in the press with the Peninsular war [13]  (having just received the last book [14]  which was wanted for the introductory chapter) & I am also making good progress with a life of Wesley; [15]  – this is a subject equally curious & comprehensive. These are widely different pursuits, – & therefore it is that the prosecution of one serves as relief to another.

M^rs S & her sisters [16]  join with me in kind remembrances to M^rs Peachy.

Believe me my dear Sir

Yrs very truly

Robert Southey.