2264. Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 26 May 1813 ⁠* 

Keswick. May 26. 1813

My dear Grosvenor

The half bills are safely arrived. [1] 

Tom is made quite unhappy by these repeated victories of the Americans, & for my own part I regard them with the deepest & gloomiest forebodings. [2]  The superior weight of metal will not account for all. – I heard a day or two ago from a Liverpoolian, lately from <in> America, [3]  that they stuff their wadding with bullets, – this may kill a few more men, but will not explain in what man how it is that our ships are so soon not merely demolished, –not merely disabled. Wordsworth & I agreed in suspecting some improvement in gunnery, (Fulton [4]  is likely enough to have readi discovered something) – before I saw the same supposition thrown out in the Times. [5]  Still there would remain something more alarming to be resolved, – & that is how it happens, that we injure them so little? – I very much fear that there may be a dreadful secret at the bottom, which your fact about the cartridges in the Macedonian points at. [6]  Do you know, or does Henry know an opini a belief in the navy which I heard from Ponsonby, [7]  – that the crew of the Africaine loaded purposely in this manner, in order that by being made prisoners they might be delivered from Corbetts tyranny? [8]  – When Coleridge was at Malta, Sir A Ball [9]  received a round-robin from Corbetts crew, many of whom had served under him, & who addressed him in a manner which made his heart ache as he was of course compelled to put the paper into Corbetts hands. – One day Coleridge was with him when this mans name was announced, – & he turning to C. he said to him in a low voice, – here comes one of those men who will one day blow up the British navy.

I do not know that the Cap^t of the Macedonian was a tyrant. [10]  Peake [11]  certainly was not, – he is well known here, having married a cousin of Wordsworths, – his ship was in perfect order, & he as brave & able a man as any in the service. Here it seems that the men behaved well, – but in ten minutes the ship was literally knocked to pieces, – her side fairly staved in, – & I think this can only be explained by some new improvement in the manufactory of powder – or in the manner of loading, – &c – . But as a general fact, & of tremendous application, I verily believe that the sailors prefer the Enemys service to that our own. – It is in vain to treat the matter lightly, – or seek to conceal from ourselves the extent of the evil. – Our naval superiority is destroyed!

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My chief business in town will be to make arrangements for supplying the huge deficit which the termination of my labours in the Register [12]  occasions. – I wish to turn to current present account the <my Spanish> materials, & still more the insight which I have acquired in the course of four years employme into the history of the war in the peninsula, & – to recast that portion of the Register, <carry in the it on> & bring it forth in a suitable form. [13]  This cannot be done without the concurrence of the publishers, – Ballantyne, Longman & Murray. To the two latter I have written, [14]  & am about to write to James Ballantyne, who bears a very different character from his brother. Should the thing be brought to be bear I must procure an introduction to M Wellesley, – that is to xxx the document which I doubt not he would very readily fa supply; & I should have occasion for all the assistance from the public <foreign> office which my friends could procur obtain. To the Marquis I have means of access thro Mr Littleton, & probably also, thro Giffa via Gifford thro Canning. – It may be of use if you make known my wishes in that quarter.

Travelling I doubt not, – or rather change of place of air & of the whole moral atmosphere, will be beneficial to me. I meant to halt one day at Leeds, where I can get letters to a Cicerone, [15]  – & again at Sheffield with Montgomery, who as yet knows me only by letter, & i thence if Sir G Beaumont should be in the country – I shall make my way to him at Coleorton. – I am now going for a week to Lloyds with the two Ediths, [16]  Herbert, & Isabel, – whom if you were to see her, you would pronounce far too pretty & too good-natured ever to be in danger of a xxxx condemnation to Killbrat.

Your old landlord has sustained a heavy loss in his son poor Daniel, [17]  – after long confinement, originating in jaundice, he was suffocated by the breaking of an abscess in the liver.

RS.