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National Library of Scotland, MS 3884. Previously published: Charles Cuthbert Southey (ed.), Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, 6 vols (London, 1849-1850), IV, pp. 46-49.
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.
Any dashes occurring in line breaks have been removed.
Because of web browser variability, all hyphens have been typed on the U.S. keyboard.
Dashes have been rendered as a variable number of hyphens to give a more exact rendering of their length.
Southey’s spelling has not been regularized.
Writing in other hands appearing on these manuscripts has been indicated as such, the content recorded in brackets.
& has been used for the ampersand sign.
£ has been used for £, the pound sign
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If you have not guessed at the reason why your letter has lain ten weeks unanswered, you must have thought me a very
thankless & graceless fellow, & very undeserving of such a letter. I waited from day to day that I might tell you all was
compleated, & my patience was nearly exhausted in the process. Let me tell you the whole history in due order, before I express my
feelings toward you upon the occasion. Upon receiving yoursm Gordonif I would call on him at eleven, twelve, one or two o
clock. I went accordingly never dreaming of what the business could be, & wondering at it. He told me that the Marquis of Hertford was his brother-in-law, & had written to him as being my neighbour
in the country, – placing in fact the appointment at his (Lord Wms) disposal, – wherefore he wished to see me to
know if I wished to have it. The meaning of all this was easily seen, I was very willing to thank one person more, & especially a
good natured man to whom I am indebted for many neighbourly civilities, he assured me that I should now soon hear from the Chamberlains
Office & I departed accordingly in full expectation that two or three days more would settle the affair. But neither days nor weeks
brought any farther intelligence, & if plenty of employments & avocations had not very much filled up my mind as
<well as> my time, I should perhaps have taken dudgeon, & returned to my family & pursuits from which I had so long been
absent.
At length after sundry ineffectual attempts owing sometimes to his absence, & once or twice to public business, I
saw Croker once more, & he discovered for me that the delay originated in
xxx a desire of Lord Hertford that Lord Liverpool should write to him, & ask the office for me. This calling-in the Prime
Minister about the disposal of an office the net emoluments of which are about 90 £ a year, reminded me of the old proverb about
shearing pigs.xx Tuesday, meaning to return on Thursday to dinner, or remain a day longer as I might feel
disposed. Down I went to the office & solicited a change in the day, – but this was in vain, – the gentleman-usher had been spoken
to, & a Poet Laureat is an animal a creature of a lower description I obtained however two hours xx grace, –
& <yesterday> by rising by candle-light & hurrying the post boys, reached the office to the minute. I swore to be a
faithful servant to the King, to reveal all treasons which might come to my knowledge, to discharge the duties of my office & to
obey the Lord Chamberlain in all matters of the Kings service, & in his stead
the Vice Chamberlain,xxx xx xxxxxxx xxxxxx xx did enjoy, or ought to have enjoyed.
The original salary of the office was 100 marks; it was raised for Ben Jonsonadding xxxx by making it up 102 £ it covers an insurance for £3000 upon my own life. You I have never felt any
painful anxiety as to providing for my family, – my mind is too buoyant, my animal spirits too good & I may add for this
care ever to xx have affected my happiness, – & I may add that my a not-unbecoming trust in providence has
ever supported my confidence in myself. But it is with the deepest feeling of thankfulness that I have xx secured this
legacy for my wife & children, – & it is to you that I am primarily &
chiefly indebted for this.
To the manner of your letter I am quite unable to reply.xxxx betide him who shall institute a comparison between us. There has been no race; – we have
both got to the top of the hill by different paths, & meet there not as rivals but as friends, each rejoicing in the
success of the other.
I wait for the Levee,am have the Swiss malady, & am home-sick.