To Robert Lovell.
Friday May 20th. 1796
The best consolation for the loss of a friend will be found in performing
such offices as we believe he himself would wish to have performed. innocent
amusement may certainly be derived from the poems of your son, & perhaps
moral improvement, for the reflections they induce are uniformly friendly to
virtue. to collect these — edite them & prefix some tribute of
affection, poor as it is, is yet the only offering I can make to my Brother. I feel it incumbent upon
me as a duty, & if it be not disagreable to you, Sir, I shall take a
melancholy pleasure in erecting this monument to his memory.
Robert Southey.
