19. Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, [c. 31 July 1792]

19. Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, [c. 31 July 1792] *
To St Peter the Hermit [1]
the humble petition of the books of Gualbertus [2]
—————————
& more over
seriously Bedford my poor books are grievously distressed as Lamb who took care of them leaves school next Thursday. presuming that you will offer them an asylum till they can immediately be sent to me at Oxford I have wrote by this post to desire he will deliver them up to you. as Gibbon is of the number I hope the pleasure you will receive in reading it will amply recompense the trouble.
they would cost a great deal in carriage first to Bath then to Bristol & then to Oxford & I am certain you will give them houseroom.
now then I must say your neglect is very unpardonable. a whole month has elapsed since I have heard from you & I verily believe that if I did not occasionally rub up your memory you would forget that such a person ever existed as
Robert Southey.
when I hear from you again I will write & if I can trust myself not till then for your laziness is too bad. remember me to your brother.
Notes
* Address: Grosvenor Charles Bedford Esqr/ Old Palace Yard/
Westminster
Stamped: BATH
Postmark: OJY/ 31/ 92
Watermark: [obscured by MS binding; possibly W S]
MS: Bodleian
Library, MS Eng. Lett. c. 22. ALS; 3p.
Unpublished. BACK
[1] Peter the Hermit (d. 1115), religious fanatic, instrumental in preaching the First Crusade. ‘Peter’ and ‘P.H.’ were pseudonyms used by Southey’s friend Grosvenor Charles Bedford. BACK
[2] John Gualbert (c. 995–1073), founder of the Vallombrosian order. The pseudonym ‘Gualbertus’ was used by Southey for his controversial attack on flogging as an invention of the devil in the fifth issue of The Flagellant (29 March 1792). BACK