2636. Robert Southey to John Rickman, 17 July 1815

2636. Robert Southey to John Rickman, 17 July 1815 ⁠* 

My dear R.

Thank you for your note upon vassalage [1]  which I shall duly perpend before I return the proof sheet. – The Life of Wellington in the Quarterly [2]  I did write, & was well paid for it; – I may tell you as a curious fact relative to the prices of literary labours, that Murray chusing this subject for an article offered me 100 £ for it, – which is about 20 £ more than I have yet received for the Chronicle of the Cid, [3]  & as much as I shall ever receive for it! – The one [4]  being one of the most curious books that was ever rendered into our English, & the other being, – flocci nauci nihili pili &c. [5]  One merit it had which was that of being well timed: that & the Egyptian paper [6]  were written during Buonapartes resumption, & the number was published the day before the news of Waterloo arrived.

Henry Koster an English Lisbonian who has been living in Brazil, is translating my history into Portugueze for publication at Lisbon. [7]  He is here now, amending part of his version by reference to the original documents.

God bless you

RS.

17 July. 1815

Notes

* Address: To/ John Rickman Esqre/ St Stephens Court/ New Palace Yard/ Westminster
Endorsement: RS/ 7 July 1815
Stamped: KESWICK/ 298
Postmark: FREE/ 20 JY 20/ 1815
MS: Huntington Library, RS 256. ALS; 2p.
Unpublished. BACK

[1] It is not clear what Southey is referring to here. BACK

[2] This was Southey review of George Elliott (dates unknown), The Life of the Most Noble Arthur Duke of Wellington, from the Period of his first Achievements in India, down to his Invasion of France, and the Peace of Paris in 1814 (1814), Quarterly Review, 13 (April 1815), 215–275; published under the running title ‘Life of Wellington’. It is not to be confused with Southey’s article with the same running title published in the Quarterly Review, 13 (July 1815), 448–526. BACK

[3] Southey’s translation, Chronicle of the Cid (1808). BACK

[4] i.e. Southey’s Cid. BACK

[5] A coinage in 1741 of William Shenstone (1714–1763; DNB); ‘floccinaucinihilipilification’ is the act of esteeming something to be worthless. BACK

[6] Southey’s review of Jacques François Miot (1779–1858), Mémoires pour servir à l’Histoire des Expéditions en Egypte et en Syrie (1814), Quarterly Review, 13 (April 1815), 1–55. BACK

[7] Henry Koster’s translation of the History of Brazil was not published. BACK

Addressee

Rickman, John (1771–1840)

People mentioned

Koster, Henry (1793–1820) (mentioned 1 time)
Wellesley, Arthur (1769–1852) (mentioned 1 time)
Murray, John Samuel (1778–1843) (mentioned 1 time)
The Collected Letters of Robert Southey, Part Four
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