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National Library of Wales, MS 4811D. Previously published: Adolfo Cabral (ed.), Robert Southey: Journals of a Residence in Portugal 1800-1801 and a Visit to France 1838 (Oxford, 1960), pp. 80–83.
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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Here then I am once more, safe over the seas.
our passage was uncommonly fine – five days & a half
only. light winds the whole way, yet I never suffered so
much from sickness. Edith was dreadfully affected. We left Falmouth
at five on Thursday afternoon. the three following days I
merely crawled out of bed for the sake of washing myself,
& then lay down again, scarcely eating or sleeping. On
the Monday morning about six I heard the CaptainKing George.
Endymion.Prince Ernest.the her side, & saw the smoke from her
matches. we hailed her. she answered in broken English,
& past us. her language left us no doubt that she was
French & we imagined it was a manouvre either to bear
round us, or to attack the other Packet. She was English
however, manned chiefly from Guernsey. I replaced my musquet
in the chest with no small satisfaction. my xx former feeling had been an
undistinguishable mass of wonder & apprehension, but
when that was over it was pure joy that was left. The
comfort at feeling two legs, two arms & a head upon my
shoulders put my stomach in good humour for half the day.
Now it is a subject of satisfaction that I have seen all the
preparatory bustle of a sea fight, tho certainly in none of
the pleasure: packet sailors will fight well, but not with
enthusiasm – they get nothing by a prize. this regulation is
owing to the folly of one in the American war – or the war
before last, who left her course to take a French vessel.
the moment she came alongside, the Frenchman opened his
ports, which had been somehow disguised, & the packet
was obliged to strike without firing a gun. – Immediately
after this we saw Cape Finisterre, & were boarded by the
Endymion Frigate. it was a busy morning – & to make it
more so the porpusses played around the vessel & we saw
a small grampus. on Tuesday we saw Cape Mondego – but still
the land lay like a cloud scarcely visible to a strong eye.
Tuesday night we made the Berlings. Wednesday I rose at sun
rise – the sun was rising over the rock of Lisbon. the flat
shores of Yarmouth would have been delightful to me, but
this was magnificent. we were very near the shore <land> – the wind
fresh, the breakers swelling up along the shore, &
multitudes of sea birds sporting over their silver dust. the
heights of Cintra
rose upon us & I distinguished the Penha convent, &
the summits which I had trod. we continued close along the
land. you know the entrance up the Tagus is wonderfully
fine. four years had unfamiliarized all objects – they had a
white wash of novelty. we anchored soon after ten & my Uncle was
immediately on board. at night we took possession of our
house. it is very small & quite Portugueze, but large
enough & delightfully situated. if I turn my head xxxxxx from this table I look
over the Tagus to Almeida & the farther shores of
Alentejo, & a boundary of hills high as Malvern. houses
are very difficult to find upon the hill. a niece of Lord
Lansdown
I have not yet been out. yesterday was given
to arranging our things – letter writing – & the evening
to visitors. I go this morning to the Envoy
Portugal offers some novelties – a paper
money which the government t[MS obscured]es discounted
immediately at six per cent– & which is now only worth
20 per cent. about a fortnight since they paid their sailors
with this at par. honest & wise
people! the sailors found it 80 per cent short, & rioted
& hallooed for Liberty & Bonaparte. this was soon
quelled & the ringleaders apprehended, but no example,
has been made, nor is it perhaps needful where all ranks are
equally indolent & stupid. It is a strange feeling to
walk these streets; a Heathen God upon earth was nothing to
an Englishman among this dirty, debilitated, lazy, lousy,
generation. A Mail Coach is established to Coimbra &
will run on to Porto when the road is made. A Mail Coach
that actually travels eight miles an hour. this is little
less than miraculous.
You have heard from Bedford the history of the copying machine.t Yescombe. Falmouth.
Yescombe will take care of it. he is a very friendly man.
& my
Uncles name bring it safely on shore. mine must
only be on the inner direction.
Yescombe was a prisoner in Robespierres
time.xxx first days dinner. he
told me it was the finest
happiest day he had ever witnessed. It would be well for
poor human nature if all the good actions occasioned by the
French Revolution, were as faithfully chronicled as its
public follies & atrocities.
Today I shall see Lord Somervillehere.
The Consul here it is supposed will succeed to Walpole who
is going to England for his health. he is an old
Westminster, but before my recollection – Arbuthnot.
I cannot write to Bedford by this packet. he shall hear from me by the next.
I have seen Pitcairne. he says I have no organic disease – but a miserably diseased irritability that I have done the best thing possible in coming to the best possible climate. & that I must be in no hurry to return. Time will cure me assuredly if I can afford time. the only prescription is the occasional & moderate use of laudanum, self-administered. – I was much pleased with him