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MS untraced; text is taken from Charles Cuthbert Southey (ed.), Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, 6 vols (London, 1849–1850). Previously published: Charles Cuthbert Southey (ed.), Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, 6 vols (London, 1849–1850), II, 290–295.
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.
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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.
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The first news of you was from Lamb’s letter, which arrived when I was in London. I saw, also, your letter to Stuart, and heard of one to Tobin, before I returned and found my own. Ere this you are at Malta. What an infectious thing is irregularity! Merely because it was uncertain when a letter could set off, I have always yielded to the immediate pressure of other employment; whereas, had there been a day fixed for the mail, to have written would then have been a fixed business, and performed like an engagement.
All are well – Sara and Sariola, Moses and Justiculus, Edith and the Edithling. Mary is better.
I was worn to the very bone by fatigue in London, – more walking in one day than I usually take in a month; more waste of breath in talking than serves for three months’ consumption in the country; add to this a most abominable cold, affecting chest, head, eyes, and nose. It was impossible to see half the persons whom I wished to see, and ought to have seen, without prolonging my stay to an inconvenient time, and an unreasonable length of absence from home. I called upon Sir George unsuccessfully, and received a note that evening, saying he would be at home the following morning; then I saw him, and his lady, and his pictures, and afterwards met him the same day at dinner at Davy’s. As he immediately left town, this was all our intercourse; and, as it is not likely that he will visit the Lakes this year, probably will be all.
I went into the Exhibition merely to see your picture, which perfectly provoked me. Hazlitt’s does look as if you were on your trial, and certainly had stolen the
horse; but then you did it cleverly, – it had been a deep, well-laid scheme, and it was no fault of yours that you had been
detected. But this portrait by Northcote looks like a grinning idiot; and the worst is, that it is just like enough to pass for a
good likeness, with those who only know your features imperfectly. Dance’s drawing has that merit at least, that nobody would ever
suspect you of having been the original.
I dined with Sotheby,Quam. Except his quamical knowledge, which is as profound as you will imagine, he knows nothing but bibliography,
or the science of title-pages, impresses, and dates. It was a relief to leave him, and find his brother, the captain, at Rickman’s, smoking after
supper, and letting out puffs at the one corner of his mouth and puns at the other. The captain hath a son, – begotten, according
to Lamb, upon a mermaid; and thus far is certain, that he is the queerest fish out of
water. A paralytic affection in childhood has kept one side of his face stationary, while the other has continued to grow, and the
two sides form the most ridiculous whole you can imagine; the boy, however, is a sharp lad, the inside not having suffered.
William Owen lent me three parts of the Mabinogion,used, not abused, during your absence.
I also sent him the Indian Bible, because I found him at the Indian grammar, for he is led into etymological researches.
The Annual Review succeeds beyond expectation; a second edition of the first volume is called for. Certain articles
respecting the Methodists and Malthus are said to have contributed much to its reputation.
Thus far had I proceeded yesterday, designing to send off the full sheet by that night’s post, when Wordsworth arrived, and occasioned one day’s delay. I have left him talking to
Moses, and mounted to my own room to finish. What news, you will wish to
ask, of Keswick? The house remains in statu quo, except that the
little parlour is painted, and papered with cartridge-paper. Workmen to plaster this room could not be procured when Jackson sent for them, and so unplastered it is likely to remain another winter. A
great improvement has been made by thinning the trees before the parlour window, – just enough of the lake can be seen through
such a framework, and such a fretted canopy of foliage as to produce a most delightful scene, and utterly unlike any other view of
the same subject. The Lakers begin to make their appearance, though none have, as yet, reached us. But Sharpe has announced his approach in a letter to W. We are in hourly expectation of Harry; and in the course of the year I expect Duppa to be my guest, and probably Elmsley.