676. Robert Southey to John King,
[after 10 May 1802]
*
Dear King
I had just finished a letter to Longman & Rees respecting the engraving [1] before your note arrived. if it be not too late the
plate shall be the same size as the drawing. I will open
the letter to desire the etching may be sent.
We will talk about the possibility of another vignette. [2] it
should be some real subject—some actual entity. The house for instance in which
he was born, [3] if it were a decent house—or
axxx monument upon his grave—if there were any monument
there.
yrs affectionately
R Southey.
Notes* MS: Department of Rare Books,
Special Collections and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of
Rochester, Robert Southey Papers A.S727
Unpublished.
Dating note:
Southey had commissioned King’s drawing on 16 March 1802 (see Letter 663),
the drawing was sent to him by 10 May 1802 (see Letter 675), and the
Chatterton edition was being printed by 17 May (see Letter 677). This letter
probably dates from shortly after 10 May. BACK [1] King’s drawing of the ‘Interior of the Room
in Redcliff Church where Rowleys Manuscripts were Said to have been
Deposited’ used for the engraving opposite the title page of The
Works of Thomas Chatterton, 3 vols (London, 1803), II,
unpaginated. BACK [2] King did not execute another vignette. BACK [3] Thomas Chatterton
(1752-1770; DNB). His birthplace was Pile Street School,
Bristol, where his father was a master. BACK |
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