The Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part 2: 1798-1803 A Romantic Circles Electronic Edition Southey, Robert, 1774-1843 Lynda Pratt Romantic Circles General Editor, Neil Fraistat General Editor, Steven E. Jones Technical Editor Laura Mandell 2011-08-15 rce523 letterEEd.26.514 Romantic Circles, http://www.rc.umd.edu, University of Maryland College Park, MD August 15, 2011

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Berg Collection, New York Public Library. Previously published: Joseph Cottle, Reminiscences of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey (London, 1847), pp. 220–221 [in part; dated ‘1800’]; Adolfo Cabral (ed.), Robert Southey: Journals of a Residence in Portugal 1800-1801 and a Visit to France 1838 (Oxford, 1960), p. 74 [in part; dated [c. 20 April 1800]].

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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 NINES categories for Genre and Material Form at http://www.performantsoftware.com/nines_wiki/index.php/Submitting_RDF#.3Cnines:genre.3E on 2009-02-26 Architecture Artifacts Bibliography Collection Criticism Letters Drama Life Writing Politics Folklore Ephemera Fiction History Leisure Manuscript Reference Works Humor Education Music nonfiction Paratext Perodical Philosphy Photograph Citation Family Life Poetry Religion Review Visual Art Translation Travel Book History Law Southey Letters: Biographies Southey Letters: Places Laura Mandell XSLT Transforming after latest corrections Laura Mandell XSLT Transforming Averill Buchanan corrections from proofing Averill Buchanan Part II added
514. Robert Southey to Joseph Cottle, [c. 20 April 1800] Address: To/ Mr Cottle/ Gloucester Street/ Brunswic Square/ SingleStamped: FALMOUTHEndorsements: Southey 1800; (111) 55; FalmouthMS: Berg Collection, New York Public LibraryPreviously published: Joseph Cottle, Reminiscences of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey (London, 1847), pp. 220–221 [in part; dated ‘1800’]; Adolfo Cabral (ed.), Robert Southey: Journals of a Residence in Portugal 1800-1801 and a Visit to France 1838 (Oxford, 1960), p. 74 [in part; dated [c. 20 April 1800]]. My dear Cottle

I begin with memorandums. pray let both volumes of the Anthology Annual Anthology (1799) and (1800). be left at George Dyers by your brother, for Rickman, one large for Biddlecome. Burton. near Ringwood.

Our journey was safe but not without accidents. at Plymouth I saw Mrs Tucker,Possibly connected to the Mr Tucker with whom Southey lodged in Exeter in autumn 1799; see Robert Southey to William Taylor, [started before and continued on] 1 September [1799], Letter 431. who pressed us to dine with much earnest kindness. I was glad of the opportunity to introduce my brother Tom to her, as he has no acquaintance in Plymouth. we arrived here on Friday night & found the packet by which we wished to sail detained by the winds. the winds still continues unfavourable & we are watching it with deep anxiety.

A voyage is a serious thing , & particularly an outward-bound voyage. the hope of departure is never an exhilirating hope: inns are always comfortless, & the wet weather that detains us at Falmouth, imprisons us in the inn. dirt, noise, restlessness, expectation, impatience – fine cordials for the spirits!

However I get on with Thalaba,The Islamic romance Thalaba the Destroyer (1801). from which I steal the time now given to you. Devonshire is an ugly country. I have no patience with the cant of travellers who so bepraise it. they have surely slept all the way thro Somersetshire. its rivers are beautiful – very very beautiful – but nothing else high hills all angled over with hedges, & no trees – wide views & no object of beauty.

I have heard a good story of Charles Fox.Charles Fox (1740?–1809; DNB), poet, orientalist and artist. Southey retold this anecdote in his Letters from England, 3 vols (London, 1807), I, p. 6. when his house <here> was on fire & he found all efforts to save it useless – he went up the next hill to make a drawing of the fire. the best instance of philosophy I ever heard.

I have received letters from Rickman & Coleridge.Coleridge to Southey, [10] April 1800, E.L. Griggs (ed.), The Collected Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 6 vols (Oxford, 1956–1971), I, pp. 585–586. Coleridge talks of fleaing Sir Herbert Croft – which may not be amiss.

God bless you. I shake you mentally by the hand, & when we shake hands bodily, trust you will find me a repaired animal with a head full of knowledge & a trunk full of manuscripts.

Remember me to all friends whom you see. tell Davy this is such a vile county that nothing but its merit as his birth place redeems it from my utter execration. I have found nothing in it but roguery, restive-horses, & wet weather. & neither pilchards, white ale, or squab pie were to be found obtained. Last night I dreamt Davy had killed himself by an explosion & the misery I felt awoke me.

once more God bless you. yrs affectionately Robert Southey.