2302. Robert Southey to Thomas Southey, 16 September 1813

2302. Robert Southey to Thomas Southey, 16 September 1813 ⁠* 

Streatham. Thursday. Sept. 16. 1813.

My dear Tom

I found your letter here yesterday, too late to answer it. And I cannot answer it in the proper manner till I can get a stamp from town. I will then send you a draft on Ballantyne. As things stand there is no doubt in my mind, but that it will be duly paid. You had better however get Mr Castle [1]  to negociate it, & let the money remain till you know that it is safe. There will be little inconvenience in this as I shall draw at three days sight.

You will readily imagine that I am far too much employd to have leisure for writing. I am to be the Laureate, – it being understood that I write no odes. [2]  The salary is insignificant, but becomes of importance because I shall appropriate the whole to a life insurance, & it [will] cover an insurance of £2500 or 3000£, so the title, if it be of no use to me, will be of value to my family.

Love to Sarah

God bless you

RS.


Notes

* Address: Capt. Southey R.N./ Helens/ Auckland
MS: MS untraced; text is taken from C. G. Martin, ‘Robert Southey: Two Unpublished Letters’, Notes and Queries, 14 (1967)
Previously published: C. G. Martin, ‘Robert Southey: Two Unpublished Letters’, Notes and Queries, 14 (1967), 295. BACK

[1] Tom’s father-in-law, Samuel Castle (d. 1815), a Durham solicitor. BACK

[2] This was the bargain Southey thought he had struck; see Southey to John Wilson Croker, [4 September] 1813, Letter 2298. He was mistaken. BACK

People mentioned

Ballantyne, John (1774–1821) (mentioned 1 time)

Places mentioned

Streatham (mentioned 1 time)