8. Robert Southey to Thomas Davis Lamb, [c. 26 April 1792]

8. Robert Southey to Thomas Davis Lamb, [c. 26 April 1792] *
Dear Lamb
I will be obliged to you to send my portfolio with all my verses <all its contents> &c & No 6 of to Hart Street. the Castles of Athlin & Dunbayne [1] which is in the deal box or Combes bookcase & if you will get No 6 [2] from Gingers & send with them as I have the rest.
Combes breaking up so soon is very odd. I know Vincent fears a rebellion for he told Dr Whalesby [3] so. most likely he will make Adderly break up & you & then he will be secure. I wish I could hear the trial — Mr Reed will get Garrow [4] to cut up the Doctor. you seem to be in a pretty situation — when Combe Adderly & you are gone Dodd will plug the house about without opposition — his Majesty would not have broke up so soon unless by Vincents particular desire — I expect you will be at home next — however you have one Ignoramus at the head of the underschool & in all human probability will have another in Dr V. I am obliged to discontinue the Flagellant. No 10 concludes it [5] — but we shall not waste our papers. we mean to write on & some months hence publish a volume compleat. I plan a paper upon wigs & if you like a curious sketch take the following.
Wigs emblematic of hypocrisy — hypocrisy springs from the Devil Ergo the Devil the inventor of wigs.
NB. as reflection upon your old wig.
a few quotations from Milton Spencer — the testament the Koran the Edda [6] Hugo Grotius, [7] Juvenal [8] &c &c &c &c &c &c &c &c &c — derivation of the word hypocrisy UπΟ κριτςς [9] the mask which the old actors wore. therefore the wig a mask for ignorance & hypocrisy.
the monks shave their head. all extremes bad
Medio tutissismus ibis
Ergo [10]
Doctors should wear their own hair.
wigs came in fashion as wisdom declined — old custom no good authority. quotation from Tom Paine [11] concerning precedent. the primitive fathers did not wear wigs. bishops do & therefore the bishops are not orthodox.
ass in a lions skin
like
Mr Wingfield in a wig —
———
but all this will not do yet — I must lay by for some time — meanwhile I will lay in a good store of doses for the Doctor the Devil & Dodd.
if we go to France we will send Combe a letter every day — double or treble first a French one & then a translation for fear he should be puzzled — & now as I have nothing to say I conclude.
yours sincerely
R Southey
Notes
* Address: Mr Davies Lamb/ Mrs Cloughs/ Deans Yard/
Westminster
Stamped: WALTHAM CROSS
Postmark: AP/ 26/ 92
MS: Houghton Library, bMS Eng 265.1 (32). ALS; 3p.
Unpublished. BACK
[5] Southey was mistaken; the ninth, and final, issue of The Flagellant appeared on 26 April 1792. BACK