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British Library, Add MS 47888. Previously published: Kenneth Curry (ed.), New Letters of Robert Southey, 2 vols (London and New York, 1965), I, pp. 90–92.Dating note: The letter is dated from the postmark. Southey writes ‘Tuesday’ at the end of the letter; 12 January 1795 was a Monday.
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.
All quotation marks and apostrophes have been changed: " for “," for ”, ' for ‘, and ' for ’.
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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Were I to estimate length of time since my arrival here by the succession of ideas instead of hours, these last thirty would be strangely lengthened.
my journey was cold — never had I so fit an opportunity cooly to consider the theory of freezing. we arrived not till 11 next morning. I went to the Salutation & Catto day> very heavy. Coleridge objected to Wales & thought it best to find some situation in London till we could prosecute our original plan. he talked of a tutorage — a public office — a newspaper one for me. I went to bed in dirty sheets — & tost & turned cold weary & heart sick till seven in the morning — then fell asleep & woke before ten more refreshed by mental exertion than bodily repose.
to day I went to Bedford. Coleridge was to wait half an hour in the Park in case I staid not with him. I left Bedford (with whom I spend tomorrow) but found not Coleridge. calld on Wynn — not in town. on Scott.more sedition to make a 2 Shilling pamphlet. they will print it immediately give me 12 copies & allow me a sum proportionate to the sale if it sells well. all the risk is their own.
I am at a coffee house with Scott.
Love me my dear Edith or there will be no comfort for me. I lean strongly to Wales in spite of his very strong arguments — but if it be not practicable will get a place in some public office of 80 or 100 per year on which with some 50 more by writing for reviews &c we can live with frugality & happi[MS obscured] do not forget me — do not believe that any circumstances can ever make me unhappy while secure of your affection. I think of you always — always with emotion — tis a thought that would comfort me in every calamity & I will cherish it even as my Life for indeed I could not have bear the one without the other.
God bless you & make you most happy.