2664. Robert Southey to Henry Herbert Southey, 28 October 1815 ⁠* 

Saturday 28 Oct. 1815. Dover.

My dear Harry

I wrote to you from Ghent, – & by a xxx happy mismanagement the letter is now in my pocket. Here we are after a stormy passage of twelve hours from Calais. Our route was from Ghent to Courtreys, Menin, Ypres & Dunkirk. We leave this place as soon as the Custom House can be got thro, & we have agreed to sleep tomorrow night at the house of our fellow-travellers the Vardens at Greenwich. On Monday morning you will see us in Q Anne Street. Mr Vs servant [1]  takes this by the stage at ten this morning, & by his means I expect that this will reach you tomorrow. Remember that you must make no disarrangements which would incommode you for the purpose of accommoding us. Edith May may sleep with the Maid, or on the ground in our room. Our stay must needs be short, for after so much expence of time & money I cannot afford to be idle much longer.

You have heard I hope of me from Brussels thro J May & Bedford – to whom I wrote on Friday 20^th communicating my intended movements, [2]  – & drawing on the former for £30. The Edithlings illness at Aix la Chapelle cost me a good deal, & to mend the matter, the banker at Brussels gave me false Louis’ (after they had been cried down) which cost us the loss of four upon the frontier, & the probable eventual loss of three more, – & had nearly brought us into a troublesome situation. However thank God here we are, & I am well pleased with my journey.

Love to Louisa. God bless you

RS.

En passant after my other purchases had been sent off in a regular way I bought four Dutch folios at S Nicholas, & eleven Dutch quartos at Ypres.