1371. Robert Southey to John Rickman, 5 October 1807 ⁠* 

My dear Rickman

Duppa’s father was a man of some property, who was resident either in or near Leominster, in Herefordshire; his family is I believe very distantly connected with my own, I having heard Bishop Duppa claimed as kinsman on my mother’s side, – a relationship of which I am not very proud, holding the said Bishop to have had a hand in the manufactory of the Eikon Basilike. [1]  Duppa has two elder brothers the one a clergyman in good circumstances; the elder a country gentleman I believe – he himself by the late death of his father inherits some small independence, – little, but enough for an independant man.

I have known him since the Installation at Oxford, in 1793, where he was introduced to me by his relation & my nearest & dearest friend, Edmund Seward. Of his Education I can tell you little, – it was in this country & I suspect not very good. He learnt the art of engraving from Heath [2]  I believe, – but never practised it as a trade, – went abroad & continued there for three years, – & since his return has published those heads, his Subversion of the Papal Government, & his life of Michael Angelo. [3]  – I guess his age at from 5 to 7 & 30. Carlisle has known him longer than I have & can probably tell you more of his history previous to his going abroad.

He knows the Arts well, & loves them disinterestedly; – they have been his pursuit rather than his profession. Whatever is connected with them he has studied seriously, – anatomy in particular & I believe he has a good knowledge of xxxxx other branches of science.

Medriociter we must rank his classical knowledge. [4]  to this he never makes any pretensions; – & if he would not aim at style, he xx he would, like another good friend of ours, write better. Now I know nothing more, & all this amounts to very little; – of his soundness, & his knowledge of what odd things there are in the world which make him so pleasant a companion, you know as much as myself. – Elmsley told me long since of a marriage engagement pending, between him & Miss Page, [5]  – a xxx cousin of the Bedfords, who lived with them. I should be glad if it was carried into effect. The Lady is an acquaintance of mine, suitable to him in age. & one whom, for her thoroughly happy temper I like so well, that it would give me pleasure to hear she had found a comfortable home before the total wreck & ruin of that family takes place, as it must do upon the death of Grosvenor, which is, I very much fear to be expected. [6]  Very likely it is this engagement which makes him wish for the situation in request. Would it be of any use if Wordsworth were to interest his brother <for> xxx him, he being of authority at Lambeth? [7]  If so, lose no time in telling me.

I have received lately several works of the ex-Jesuits, concerning South America. This body of men seem to have been useful to the last, & to have employed their old age, cruelly as they had been treated, in leaving all their knowledge to posterity. Among them is a famous catalogue of all existing languages, by Hervas, originally published by him in Italian in 1784, but now greatly enlarged & extended in Spanish, his native language tongue. [8]  It is to be followed by grammars & vocabularies, – the whole treasure of their missionary school. From this catalogue I have collected some curious facts respecting S America, – among others the singular one that none of the languages there have any affinity to those spoken in N America. He believes in the tales of Atlantis, & thinks this half of the new world was peopled from thence, & so originally from Africa, – his proofs of the latter fact are from etymology, – which cannot be appreciated till his vocabularies appear; – of the former, the chain of soundings, from Brazil to Africa. The Araucans [9]  speak a language more excellently artificial than any other even than the Greek: & in some of the islands off their coast the language is Spanish adapted to the Araucan grammar. – The Mexicans & Peruvians (like the Romans) spread their language with their arms, & consequently each extended over a prodigious extent of country, – thus greatly facilitating the conquests of the Spaniards. But the Jesuits found it better to learn the savage dialects of the different tribes than to teach them Spanish, – for this obvious reason, that thus they kept them to themselves. This Paraguay hist. will be very curious, never yet having been touched upon with decent impartiality.

I have collected the titles of many other works relating to S America, which I will send for to Italy whenever I can find out how to do it.

I wish this may be true about Portugal & Brazil, – but doubt it. [10]  If it should, my book will be worth something in the Row.

Thank Mrs R. for her good wishes, I have about four days work only to finish the body of the Cid. [11]  The notes & introduction are more than half done. I go soon to reviewing, & think of appearing in London as soon as that shall be over, – probably in January: – or perhaps may wait a few weeks to see the arrival of a son or daughter – expected about that time.

God bless you

RS.

Oct 5. 1807.