3744. Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, 5 November 1821⁠* 

Keswick. 5. Nov. 1821

My dear Wynn

Ld Frederick Bentinck whom I met at Lowther, proffered his services in obtaining materials for me from Lord Hill, & from his brother. [1]  I have a letter from him to day. Lord W^m B. will supply all the information & documents in his power. But Lord Hill doubts whether he should be justified in so doing, as he acted the whole time in a subordinate capacity. – I suppose this is rather an excuse than a reason, perhaps he is afraid I might make some indiscrete use of his name.

The time will come when works of this kind will be written with the direct sanction & aid of Government, – as voyages of discovery are now. For myself I am glad that time is not come yet, as unquestionably I can write with much more freedom. But xx a notion has got abroad that something like this is the case. An Italian wrote to offer me a manuscript memorial of the Prince of the Peace [2]  in vindication of himself – as an important document for my history, – modestly asking 200 guineas for it. A son of Scarletts [3]  forwarded the proposal to me, & upon my expressing to him in reply my sense of its folly & extravagance, Young Scarlett said that he as well as his friend the Signor took it for granted Government would be at the whole expence of such a work. – The only thing I ever wished to ask of Government, if there had been a likelihood of obtaining it, was a set of their printed Records which I cannot afford to buy, & which I shall want for use. It was to you that I applied to know if the thing were feasible, – without the least suspicion that you were any way concerned. [4]  The answer is a good specimen of what Government can do to assist an historian in his studies.

I have printed 424 pages of my first volume, [5]  & it will be ready early in the spring. If the booksellers publish it before the whole is ready (which I suppose they will), Lord Hill will see whether the <book is of such a character as that he> would wish it to be as correct as possible in those parts wherein he is concerned. It is not of much consequence: for what was actually done, of course I know. And in reality I have documents in such abundance, that any additional ones will be of more trouble than real utility. It would be a matter of duty with me to examine all, & the additional information which I could now gain could not by possibility be worth a tythe of the time which it would cost. You will easily understand this. I have a dangerous love of detail, & a xxx desire of accuracy, which is much more expensive (both in materials & time) than I ought to afford.

My mornings at Lowther were spent among the books, chiefly with tracts of Charles the firsts age. [6]  There I found the Directory [7]  which I remember you told me once you had never seen & which I had long looked for. It is as the title imparts a mere directory, – telling the Preacher when he is to read, when to respond, when to pray & when to preach, – but setting down no form of words, leaving that to his discretion, – just as old Italian Comedians had the story of their drama given them, & were left to supply the dialogue themselves. – I found a great deal in this great collection of pamphletts which one might look for in vain whether in Rushworth or Whitelocke. [8] 

Murray will publish a Collection of our Historical Memoirs. [9]  You must talk to him about it. It should contain every thing which the intended Corpus does not, – a point upon which I can give him no information.

Barrow makes a great mistake in the QR, & upon a subject with which he ought to be well acquainted. [10]  The country between our possessions in S Africa & the Portugueze is not fertile as he represents it (except in one part) – & there are accounts enough of it in the history of Portugueze shipwrecks, which I wonder he should not have known. The number is I think a bad one. There is a sermon of Stillingfleets which might have been used with great advantage in the paper upon Hones wicked publication. [11]  The last article is ill–designed & clumsily executed. [12]  Hunts Tasso is reviewed by one of his friends – ergo. [13]  – The papers upon Italian literature in that review have all been empty & superficial.

While I was writing Thus far I had written when your letter arrived. For the first time Gifford has printed a paper of mine without mutilation & I am responsible for it as it stands, – with a single exception, not unworthy of notice. I had said that Hampden might have left behind him a name scarcely inferior to Washington, & he has most absurdly altered this to a memorable name! As if the name were not sufficiently memorable. [14] 

I am very much pleased with your remarks. The scale upon which I wrote precluded detail, – I had always to deal in xxx results & general views, & meant all that the words imply xx in saying that till the meeting of the Long Parliament, [15]  it would be difficult to say which party behaved worst & afforded most provocation & excuse to the other. Yet it is so likely that others should impute to want of candour what is solely owing to want of space, that I am very much inclined to extend the paper as I did with the Life of Nelson. [16] 

I will tell you what part you would have taken had you lived in those days. You would have acted with the Parliament to a certain point as Falkland [17]  did, you would then have given <transferred> your weight to the sinking scale, & died as he did, honourably & willingly in the Kings service.

About Laud [18]  I cannot altogether agree with you. His foresight must be admitted as some cause for his severity, for the end & aim of the Puritans was clearly foreseen [19]  as early as in Parker’s time. [20]  The temper and manners of the age take off much of the individual guilt in acts of cruelty. When he cut off ears, the Parliament bored tongues; and in his case, head and all were taken. [21]  The charge of Popery excited most hatred against him; and that was infamously false. And for all that he would have done in counteracting Calvinism, and restoring the beauty of public worship (which was also a prominent charge against him), he was in my judgment eminently meritorious. I found at Lowther a pamphlet of Burton’s concerning Laud’s execution; the spirit of it was truly devilish. [22] 

The “Parl. History” [23]  is a book which I must buy whenever I can afford it – if that should ever be the case. There are parts of our history upon which I am very imperfectly informed for want of it. But this is not the case with Charles’s reign, upon which I have read largely and carefully. The only character of those times upon which I can form no opinion, is Williams, the Lord Keeper and Archbishop. [24]  What is your opinion of him? How I should like to talk over these things with you again, as in old times! God bless you.

R.S.

P.S. I have lately proposed to Wordsworth that we should institute a society for the suppression of albums.