3525. Robert Southey to John May, 15 August 1820
3525. Robert Southey to John May, 15 August 1820*
My dear friend
You have herewith a second letter [1] pretty well filled. One great charm of biography is that it preserves the history of domestic manners, which is only to be got at incidentally, – & yet is of so much value that every fact relating to it, however trifling, is noticed with pleasure. I am so fond of it that it may peradventure lead me sometimes out of my way. You see I am fairly engaged in the task, – & the time will not be ill bestowed even tho I should sometimes borrow it from other employments.
Your Mr Earl dines here to day, upon some grouse of his own killing, & a neck of Lowther venison. I wish you were of the party.
My good old Aunt Mary arrived yesterday, in fine health & spirits tho a little shaken by the journey. She had never seen any of the children. – [2]
My letters will be the better for this seasonable arrival
God bless you
in haste
Yrs affectionately
RS.
15 Aug. 1820.
Notes
* Address: To/ John May Esqre/ 4. Tavistock Street/ Bedford Square
Stamped: Penny
Post/ unpaid/ [illegible]Westm[illegible]
Postmark: 2o’Clock/ 18.AU/ 1820
A.N.n
Endorsement: No. 214/ 1820/
Robert Southey/ – 15th August/ recd. 18th do./ ansd. 13th November/ with his 2d autobiographical/
letter.
MS: Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas,
Austin. ALS; 2pp.
Previously published: Charles Ramos (ed.), The
Letters of Robert Southey to John May: 1797–1838 (Austin, Texas, 1976),
p. 188. BACK