The Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part 1: 1791-1797 A Romantic Circles Electronic Edition Southey, Robert, 1774-1843 Lynda Pratt Romantic Circles General Editor, Neil Fraistat General Editor, Steven E. Jones General Editor, Carl Stahmer Technical Editor Laura Mandell 2009-03-15 rce238 letterEEd.26.238 Romantic Circles, http://www.rc.umd.edu, University of Maryland College Park, MD March 15, 2009

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British Library, Add MS 47890. 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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238. Robert Southey to Thomas Southey [brother], 22 July [1797] Address: For/ Mr Southey./ Phoebe Frigate/ FalmouthStamped: RINGWOODMS: British Library, Add MS 47890Unpublished. Saturday. 22 July. My dear Tom

It appears to me that if you do not apply for your discharge BarlowSir Robert Barlow (1757–1843; DNB), captain of Thomas Southey’s ship. will give it to you ere long, & certainly it is better not to wait for that. he may turn you adrift & so injur your character with those who pay any regard to the acts of a man in power — or send you again on board a leaky vessel & get rid of you in a quieter manner. — my advice is to quit him & take your chance. there can be no doubt of your getting another birth; & you shall be with me till you can. use your own judgement, — if you want money to come away draw for five guineas, or more if that be not enough, on my mother & I will remit her the money to answer it, as this is an awkward place to draw upon. I will write immediately to her & tell her the advice I have given you. your letter has just arrived tho dated the 19th but it is a long & round about way.

God bless you. I will put all my friends in requisition to get you rated elsewhere — & thank God — have a home for you till that can be done. you cannot remain with such a fellow as your Captain.

I have been consulting with a friend: he advises & has persuaded me that you had better remain on board till we can get you rated in another ship. to do which he will write by this days post to Sir Harry Burrel.Probably an error for Sir Harry Burrard-Neale (1765–1840; DNB), MP for Lymington 1790–1802 (and intermittently until 1835), and naval officer. if this application fails I will write to John May a friend of mine in London who is indefatigable in doing good. there can be no doubt of success — of the propriety of remaining till this succeeds you are the best judge. a few weeks lost may be of importance.

If after all you think it best to quit the Phoebe directly come to me. & certainly it would be best if you apprehend your rascally commander may turn you off.

“they order these things better in France.”Laurence Sterne (1713–1768; DNB), A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, 2 vols (London, 1768), I, p. [1].

Ediths love. once more God bless you,

Yr affectionate brother Robert Southey.

it is needless I hope to add that in every thing you said I think you were perfectly right.