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 rce701 letterEEd.26.692 Romantic Circles, http://www.rc.umd.edu, University of Maryland College Park, MD August 15, 2011

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MS untraced; text is taken from Robert Galloway Kirkpatrick Jnr, ‘The Letters of Robert Southey to Mary Barker From 1800 to 1826’ (unpublished PhD, Harvard, 1967), pp. 30-33.. Previously published: John Wood Warter (ed.), Selections from the Letters of Robert Southey, 4 vols (London, 1856), I, pp. 200–202.

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.

All quotation marks and apostrophes have been changed: " for “," for ”, ' for ‘, and ' for ’.

Any dashes occurring in line breaks have been removed.

Because of web browser variability, all hyphens have been typed on the U.S. keyboard.

Dashes have been rendered as a variable number of hyphens to give a more exact rendering of their length.

Southey's spelling has not been regularized.

Writing in other hands appearing on these manuscripts has been indicated as such, the content recorded in brackets.

& has been used for the ampersand sign.

£ has been used for £, the pound sign

All other characters, those with accents, non-breaking spaces, etc., have been encoded in HTML entity decimals.

 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
692. Robert Southey to Mary Barker, 9 July 1802 Address: To/ Miss Barker/ Congreve/ Penkridge/ Staffordshire Postmark: 22 Bristol July 9. xx02MS: MS untraced; text is taken from Robert Galloway Kirkpatrick Jnr, ‘The Letters of Robert Southey to Mary Barker From 1800 to 1826’ (unpublished PhD, Harvard, 1967), pp. 30-33.Previously published: John Wood Warter (ed.), Selections from the Letters of Robert Southey, 4 vols (London, 1856), I, pp. 200–202. Senhora

The Bashaw writes because some five weeks have elapsed since he hath written – but what hath He of the three tailsIn the Ottoman empire, bashaws (or pashas) signified their status by the number of horse tails on their standards; three tails indicated high rank. See Peter Pindar [John Wolcot (c. 1738-1819; DNB)], Tales of the Hoy (London, 1798), p. 58. to write about – of – or concerning? the tongue runneth faster than the pen – yea it hath more power. the pen commandeth only twenty six letters – it can only range between A and Z – these are its limits – like all before & after life. (I had forgotten and-pussey-and:)i.e. ampersand. but my tongue – my omnipotent manufacturer of all noises – who shall limit its creative allmightiness? – We have a parrot living five doors distant.The parrot, whose name is unfortunately not recorded, belonged to the poet and orientalist Charles Fox (c. 1740-1809; DNB) and his wife. with him I do converse from the window. he hath taught me to articulate new tones. – Moreover there is no filling up the pauses of the goose quill with the little amiabilities that relieve conversation – with a whoop – or a whistle – or a twirl – or a face – as “that man” used to do. & besides I have no time for writing – & also I do’nt like, & likewise it is not my custom – & eke I approve it not – yea it is altogether idleness – very vanity & vexation of spirit – waste of ink – abuse of paper – wear & tear of pen.

The Grunter ought to write for me, & tell you all our goings on. how Mrs Lovell has had a swelled face – how BellasThe Southeys’ servant, she died in 1804. knee is be-blistered to the general inconvenience – & how Tom is arrived from the West Indies. but the Grunter would not tell you certain circumstances which ought to be made known in form of complaint from the offended & injured Bashaw – how he (guess Senhora if you can what the domestic disarrangement is?) – how he can – (stretch now your imagination as if it were made of indian-rubber to find it out –) how he can not – (go to the cunning woman and ask what –) he cannot get a pair of clean pantaloons.

The great Bashaw is just. Mrs Danvers does not take Irish blackguard.A type of snuff distributed by the firm of Lundy Foot, Dublin. he hath laid by the Snuff for the Senhora.

——

You have heard of George Dyers letter,See Southey to John Rickman, 24 July 1802, Letter 696. have you seen his Poems? the new Edition in two volumes? George Dyer, Poems and Critical Essays (1802). brimfull of Dyerisms – for what other name will express that combination that characterizes all about him! – I hear of a review of my own poems inserted in the Poetical Register Poetical Register and Repository of Fugitive Poetry (1801–1811). – one of the works which has grown out of the ruins of the AnthologySouthey’s Annual Anthology, published in 1799 and 1800. A third projected volume did not materialise, partly because similar publications, like the Poetical Register, had appeared as competitors. – by Miss Seward.Anna Seward’s critique of Thalaba the Destroyer (1801) appeared in The Poetical Register, and Repository for Fugitive Poetry, for 1801 (London, 1802), pp. 475-486. they tell me it is like her poem to meSeward’s earlier, widely published attack on Joan of Arc, ‘Philippic on a Modern Epic’ (1797). – praise & censure equally extravagant – sugared bile – oil & vinegar.

I have been historifying successfullySouthey’s had been working on his ‘History of Portugal’. It was never completed. – AmadizingSouthey’s translation Amadis of Gaul, published in 1803. with less good will. – poetizing little or none. yet Kehama The Curse of Kehama, published in 1810. Southey had begun to draft Book 2 on 4 June 1802. has got on a little way – very little – but good. & that in the uphill road of the connecting parts which having no interest in the matter must derive all their beauty from the manner. I shall soon arrive at the land of miracles & marvels & call up my storms & fears & darkness – & bring God’s & Ghosts into action. if it be not a good Poem Woe to my ears! & it must be written soon for a good reason. behold why.

My business with Corry is pretty well wound up – & I am paid off. now then at liberty to fix – you know there is a necessity for fixing. a library & a nursery ought to be stationary. I am resolved to live near Richmond if John May can find me a house. but what is a house without furniture? & how is furniture to be had without money? & how can I get money without writing? Therefore will the Curse of Kehama be forthcoming this next winter. Necessity sends some men to the gallows – some to prison. me it always sends to the press.

Do you go into Wales?Mary Barker’s uncle, Sir Jeremiah Homfray (1759–1833; DNB), a Welsh ironmaster, lived at Landaff House, Glamorganshire. When do you go? if you go you must make Bristol going or returning in your way – if you do not go, you must make a journey to Bristol expressly. There is much to be seen about Bristol – & I am here for my last long visit. when once I quit it I return here no more except for a week or ten days just to see Danvers. the place is unpleasant to me. there are recollections that poison every path which I used to take with very different feelings. So if I do not show it you this autumn I shall never do it. besides you know we do not permit proxySouthey had asked Mary Barker to act as godmother to the baby Edith Southey was expecting. – it savoureth too much of king – & queenliness.Monarchs who agreed to be godparents traditionally sent proxies in their place.

fare you well. the whole rigmarole of remembrances you will consider as set down in due forms –

So God bless you – Yrs affectionately – & in earnest at the end of the Letter Robert Southey.

July 9. 1802,  Kingsdown.