627. Robert Southey to Charles Danvers, 19 November 1801 ⁠* 

Dear Danvers

Of the books you mention I should like to have the Historical Collection of memorable accidents [1]  – & P. de Aquila [2]  Durandus [3]  – the Spanish book of heraldry, [4]  the Archbishop of Manilas charge to his clergy [5]  – of course good for nothing. Perizonius [6]  my Uncle has. I have a good copy of Burnett [7]  – indeed it is at your house. the Boethius [8]  I would have if it be clean & entire.

My Mother! – I always calculate upon her weakness & irresoluteness. as for the money she must not be trusted with it. God knows I have ways enough for money without letting M^rs Tyler pilfer me. is it not better give it to M^rs Lovell? for if my Mother has it before she be in the chaise she will turn it over to her sister. & either come up by stage or stay where she is.

I forgot to notice what King said about D^r Solomon. [9]  I do not think it quite fair even towards a rogue, to expose private conversations. neither would any good proceed from it. D^r Beddoes cannot weed out quackery – credulity is the common inclination of our nature, it may bend under reason – but rises again like a reed when the wind is past by. if the anecdote be inserted it should be without specifying what the Blockheads name was. [10]  “the most eminent of our Quacks” or some such term – & let him & Brodum [11]  quarrel for the title. I have learnt something about Brodum which I could not have suspected – that he is in league with the gamesters – invites his young patients to dinner – & produces the dice-box. if Beddoes be not aware of this it is worth communicating – & ought to be exposed – but D^r. B. must take heed how he does it lest he expose himself to an action.

Coleridge is here – for how long I know not. indeed his stay depends upon his inclination, & that is the most unsteady of all things.

I am plagued & puzzled about Edward. rescued he ought to be [12]  – but God knows how. I do not love the boy – for the last four years I was never with him five minutes in which he did not mortally offend my feelings of what was right & decent. there is in his very nature a miserable obliquity which I doubt whether any change of circumstances can remedy. perhaps my Uncle may soon be in England. I can do nothing with him. my own life is too unsettled to let him pass even his holy days with me, were I disposed to make so entire a sacrifice of my comfort & inclination for the time, which certainly I am not. as it is I never think of him but with sorrow & pain – & were he more with me, diseased as his habits are, those feelings would strengthen – I am sure they would, – into a strong & mutual dislike. none of my brothers resemble me – he least of all. I would do for xxx him all that is possible, for my Mothers sake, & a sense of duty, but I feel no impulse to do any thing for his own. indeed nothing is in my power.

One Trunk I think may surely come by the Chaise – that is we always carried three Trunks by Chaise – now my Mother & M^rs L will not probably have more than one [MS obscured]h. if they can take the large one – so much the better – as we shall pay less fo[MS obscured] the small. they will bring my desk, & I should be glad of <the> two small volumes in parchment – Guerras Civiles de Granada. [13]  they are lettered at length in great black letters on the back. – I cannot leave town myself – nor if I could would it be well to leave Edith. Is it quite impossible that you should fancy yourself subpœnaed – come up in the chaise & return in the Cheap Coach? a bed we could not offer you – but that for a man is easily procured –

____

You will have guessed why the remainder of the Bills has been delayed – that they might go in a frank. – Hamilton [14]  does not use me well – he promised me books & the account & has sent neither. Of Longman I enquired as to the sale of Thalaba. it has been slow. about three hundred only sold. the novel you mention is by John Thelwall [15]  – & in the assumed name of Beaufort you may trace the Lecturer in Beaufort Buildings.

I hope Burnett will upon fair trial discover how utterly unqualified he is for the trade which he has chosen. he can support himself certainly, & what he gets to do will be as well done as by any body else. but to have the subject & the length & the time fixed by such a fellow as Phillips! [16]  – I would rather turn journeyman taylor & sit cross legged in Joseph Estlins [17]  work-room. the young man with money was the West Indian who lived on Kingsdown & wrote the Pleasures of Solitude. John Jefferys [18]  by name – & who still more to render the cohabitation more abominably ridiculous in its name – translated & published the Eclogues of Virgil – including Formosum Pastor Corydon ardebat Alexin. [19] 

Thomas has not written to me, & his silence puzzles me – I will write again to find him out. tomorrow I go to dine at Ld Hollands. he is intimate with Wynn, & wants to see me for the sake of Thalaba – I want to see him for the sake of his Uncle. [20]  We have started some of our Lisbon acquaintance – & Mrs Gonne [21]  has found [MS obscured] whose name you know – so that Edith has a woman friend [MS obscured] living at an unlucky distance.

Remember me to King. if he has any thing to be done in town he should know that I should be glad to be commissioned by him. As Cottle I presume has not – I have got the Anthologies [22]  for him & they wait only a free conveyance down. I am obliged by the invitation to Edgeworth town. [23]  it did not reach me – or I should have expressed the obligation my sense of the attention.

I am hurt at my Mothers return to her wicked sister. do not let her have the bills for fear. M^rs Lovell had better have them.

We are sorry to hear of your Mothers weakness in the hand – very sorry – her & you I miss sadly –

God bless you –

R Southey.