Dear Wynn
The name of an Edinburgh Review [1] was quite new to me
& I have no chance of seeing their notice of Thalaba –
but any Review good or bad is a good thing, for I am afraid
the dust lies heavy on him in Longmans
warehouse. By the by Longman is about to start a new Review [2] & has applied to me to
bear a part therein. the Critical has supplied me of late so
very sparingly that I did not hesitate to give the yes – as
my old friend the Spanish ballad writers phrase it, – so
that in some cases I shall probably have a double voice.
I have two French histories of Portugal.
Neufvilles, & la Cledes, [3] neither printed
in columns – but I have seen Vertots [4] so printed. if it be
any other pray secure it for me. I wish now that I had taken
that xxx memoirs of the
Queens of Spain [5] mutilated
of its prints as it was – it would have answered my use till
I found another copy, & then might have been
exchanged.
The Ballads of the Cid [6] are
very numerous, & generally very bad. some of them have
fine passages – but not one tolerable enough as a whole to
bear translation. I expect an older poem upon Rodrigo from
Lisbon as soon as it can be procured from Madrid. [7] a sketch of his literary
history will make a good note, from the first ballads down
to the Epics of Philip 2ds time [8] – to Corneille [9] –
& Montengon. [10] I mean to
do this with all the heroes of romance or history that come
within my limits.
I have not seen Coleridges letters. [11] As
for the politics of this wicked world – his Majesty &
his Majestys ministers [12] have
certainly a very peaceable & well disposed subject in
me. all my political irritation goes off in a curse or two
at Bonaparte. I have forgiven young Jenkinson for Lord
Hawkesburys [13] sake,
& Mr Addington [14] is got into my good graces.
your cousin [15] puts me in mind of Sir Kay in Mort
Arthur [16] – he never jousts without getting a
fall.
My eyes are a little better. Chatterton [17] will be out in a fortnight. Of
Amadis [18] about half a volume only is printed.
God bless you –
R S
Tuesday
Notes
* Address: To/ C W Williams Wynn Esqr M.P./ Lincolns Inn/
London
Postmark: [partial] BRISTOL/ OV
30
Endorsements: Nov 30/ 1802; Mr Wynn
MS: National Library of Wales, MS
4811D
Unpublished. BACK
[1]
Edinburgh
Review, 1 (October 1802), 63-83 carried Francis
Jeffrey’s hostile review of Thalaba the
Destroyer (1801). BACK
[3] Jacques Le Quien de Neufville
(1647-1728), Histoire Generale de
Portugal (1700), no. 2101 in the sale
catalogue of Southey’s library; and Nicolas de La Clede
(1700-1736), Histoire Generale de
Portugal (1735), no. 612 in the sale
catalogue of Southey’s library. BACK
[4] Rene-Aubert Vertot (1655-1735),
Histoire de la Conjuration de
Portugal (1690). BACK
[5] Possibly, Enrique Flórez (1702-1773), Memorias
de las Reynas Catholicas (1770). Southey
later obtained a copy of an edition from 1790, no. 3466
in the sale catalogue of his library. BACK
[6] Southey had transcribed for
Wynn material relating to Rodrigo Diaz de Bivar (c.
1040-1099), a Castilian aristocrat and military
commander, whose exploits were the subject of numerous
poems and tales. Southey’s English translation and
compilation of three of these was published in 1808 as
The Chronicle of the Cid. BACK
[7] Southey was possibly hoping
to obtain a copy of the 14th-century El Poema de
Mio Cid. BACK
[8] Philip II (1527-1598,
King of Spain 1556-1598). BACK
[9] Pierre Corneille
(1606-1684), Le Cid (1636). BACK
[10] Pedro Montengon y Paret (1745-1824), author of
El Rodrigo (1793). BACK
[11] Coleridge’s two public letters ‘To Mr.
Fox’, Morning Post (4 November and 9
November 1802), attacked the leading Whig politician
Charles James Fox (1749–1806; DNB) for
visiting France and appearing to be complicit with the
regime of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821, First Consul
1799-1804, Emperor of the French 1804-1814). BACK
[12] George III (1738–1820; reigned 1760–1820;
DNB) and his government. BACK
[13] Robert Jenkinson, later 2nd Earl of Liverpool
(1770-1828; DNB), Foreign Secretary
1801-1804, Home Secretary 1804-1806, 1807-1809, Prime
Minister 1812-1827. His father was Charles Jenkinson,
1st Earl of Liverpool (1727-1808; DNB),
President of the Board of Trade 1786-1804. BACK
[14] Henry Addington, 1st
Viscount Sidmouth (1757-1844; DNB), The
Speaker 1789-1801, Prime Minister 1801-1804, Home
Secretary 1812-1822. BACK
[15] Possibly
a reference to Thomas Grenville (1755-1846;
DNB), MP for Buckingham 1796-1810,
who opposed the peace with France and the Addington
government. BACK
[16] Sir Thomas
Malory (c. 1405-1471; DNB), Le
Morte d’Arthur (1485). Sir Kay was King
Arthur’s foster-brother and noted for his
clumsiness. BACK
[17] Southey and Joseph
Cottle, The Works of Thomas Chatterton
(1803). BACK
[18] Southey’s
translation of Amadis of Gaul
(1803). BACK
