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National Library of Wales, MS 4812D. Not previously published.
These letters were edited with the assistance of Carol Bolton, Tim Fulford and Ian Packer
For permission to publish the text of MSS in their possession, the editor wishes to thank the Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscript Library, Yale University; Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations; the Bodleian Library Oxford University; the British Library; Boston Public Library; the Syndics of Cambridge University Library; the Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge; Haverford College, Connecticut; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; the Hornby Library, Liverpool Libraries and Information Services; the Houghton Library, Harvard University; the John Rylands Library, Manchester; the Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas; Luton Museum (Bedfordshire County Council); Massachusetts Historical Society; McGill University Library; the National Library of Scotland; the Newberry Library, Chicago; the New York Public Library (Pforzheimer Collections); the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York; the Public Record Offices of Bedford, Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) and Northumberland, the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge; the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne; the Trustees of the William Salt Library, Stafford, the Wisbech and Fenland Museum; the University of Virginia Library.
A research grant from the British Academy made much of the archival work possible, as did support from the English Department of Nottingham Trent University.
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On my return last night I found both your letters. I found also letters from Tom telling me that his Spanish Prizes were taken two days too soon – ‘they are now by some
extraordinary act given to indemnify the merchants who suffered when Spain laid the embargo – so much for my 2000£!’ – This at least is
what the W. Indian agents say. Many officers have received part of their shares in advance – & cannot repay the money. This luckily
is not Toms case.Amelia, of which Thomas Southey was a lieutenant, had captured the Spanish brig Isabella and the ship Conception, both laden with wine and brandy, and the ship Commerce, laden with cotton. It was customary for naval officers to be allotted a share of the value of ships and cargo
captured in armed conflict, but because these ships had been captured before war was officially declared, the prize money was being
withheld. Southey took up his brother’s cause to have his share reinstated.xx x
xxxxxxx xxxxx can have resolved to reimburse the merchants by robbing the sailors, tho there was a paragraph in the Courier
stating that the xxxxx xxx frigates which were captured so villainously were to be so disposed of. The Courier is a rascally
paper, but if I find there be really good grounds for supposing that Toms prize
money is to be made away with in this unprecedented manner, I believe I can get the Courier to take the matter up, & will certainly
make as much noise as possibly about the rascality of robbing the navy.
Turners book is rich in curious xx matter.xxxxx xx xxx briefly if their own importance be considered, & after
all they are not very interesting in themselves. The scene is not great enough for the drama. As for the book it is neither better nor
worse than the Lorenzo.for others it will get by his
reputation, & there it will stay by its own good-for-nothingness.
I am sorry to say that you have over rated the sale of Madoc. Nearly 300 only have been sold – the edition being only
500. Its non reviewal is matter of chance – as I have no friend in any review except our own great Annual.xxx curious that I
should have been thinking of chusing Llewelyn for my play, very much with a view to fitting him with the character.
If you should come with Elmsley as I hope we will talk about the
periodical paper.xx all in the book
that deserves reviewing, the former was civil xxxx but not civil enough it seems – so they have supprest a tolerable
classification of novel upon the Linnaean system.