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 rce706 letterEEd.26.697 Romantic Circles, http://www.rc.umd.edu, University of Maryland College Park, MD August 15, 2011

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. Previously published: Charles Cuthbert Southey (ed.), Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, 6 vols (London, 1849-1850), II, pp. 187-189.

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
697. Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 25 July 1802 Address: To/ Grosvenor Charles Bedford Esqr/ Exchequer./ WestminsterStamped: [illegible]Postmark: B/ JUL 26/ 1802Endorsement: 25 July 1802MS: Bodleian Library, MS Eng. Lett. c. 23.Previously published: Charles Cuthbert Southey (ed.), Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, 6 vols (London, 1849-1850), II, pp. 187-189.

Grosvenor I do not like the accounts which reach me of your health. Elmsley says you look ill – your friend SmithThomas Woodroffe Smith (c. 1747-1811), a wealthy Quaker merchant, who lived at Stockwell Park, Surrey, near the Bedfords. In 1789 he married as his second wife Anne Reynolds (dates unknown) of Carshalton. tells the same tale – & I know you are not going the way to amendment. instead of that office & regular business you ought to be in the country with no other business than to amuse yourself. a longer stay at Bath would have benefitted you, if the waters were really of service you ought to give them a longer trial. if they were not – a change of climate is what I have always conceived the most effectual remedy for you – because your attention would wholly be occupied by external things. As for ‘it cant be’ & I ‘must be at the office’ & such like phrases – when a man is seriously ill they mean nothing.

Tom is with me. he has been here about a fortnight & kept me in as wholesome xx a state of idleness as I wish you to enjoy.

Since the last semi-letter which I wrote – my state affairs have been settled & my unsecretaryfication compleated.Southey had left the employ of Isaac Corry. a good sinecure gone – but instead of thinking the loss unlucky – I only think how lucky it was I ever had it. a light heart & a thin pair of breechesThe popular song ‘How pleasant a Sailor’s life passes’, much reprinted in publications such as The Myrtle and Vine; Or, Complete Vocal Library, 4 vols (London, 1800), IV, pp. 53-54. – you know the song – & it applies for breeches being the generic name, pantaloons are included in all their modifications – & I sit at this present writing in a pair of loose jane trousers without linings. So many virtues were discovered in me, & so many old friendships recollected when I was Mr Secretary – that I suppose nothing short of sedition – privy-conspiracy & rebellion will be found possible reasons for my loss of office. the old Devil will be said to have scattered having taken with him seven other evil spirits A paraphrase of Luke 11: 26.– & the last state of that man (meaning me) will be worse than the first.

But I hope – I am coming to live near London. not in its damned filth – if John May can find me a good snug house about Richmond – then I will go – & write my historySouthey’s projected ‘History of Portugal’. – & work away merrily – & I will drink wine while I can afford it – & when I cannot, strong beer shall be the nectar – nothing like stingo!i.e. old beer; sharp or strong liquor. & if that were to fail too – laudanum is cheap. the Turks have found that out – & while there are poppies that grow gratis no man need go to bed sober for want of his most gracious Majestys picture.For want of money: all coins carried a picture of the monarch. & there will be a spare bed at my DomusThe Latin translates as ‘home’. – mark you that Grosvenor Bedford! & Toms cot into the bargain – & from June till October always a cold Pie in the cupboard. & I have already got a kitten – & a dog in remainder – but that is a contingency – & you know there is the contingency of another house animalThe Southeys’ longed for first child, born on 31 August 1802. – whom I already feel disposed to call whelp & dogs & all those vocables of vituperation by which a man loves to call those he loves best. Eblis’s Angels sometimes go up to peep into <at> the Table of Fate Qu’ran 37: 6-10. Eblis is, in Islam, the evil spirit. For the Table of Fate, see the note to Southey’s Thalaba the Destroyer (1801), Book 10, line 363. & they get knocked on the head with stars – as we see – only foolish people such as we Cafrs Unbelievers in Islam. mistake it for shooting stars. I should like one look at the Table – just to see what will happen before the end of the year – not to the world in general – nor to Europe – nor to NapoleoneNapoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821; First Consul 1799-1804; Emperor of the French 1804-1814). – nor to King GeorgeGeorge III (1738-1820; reigned 1760-1820; DNB). – nor to Governor ArisThomas Aris (dates unknown) was Governor of Cold Bath Fields House of Correction. He was replaced in 1799 after continual complaints about the harsh regime at the prison. His conduct was a controversial issue in the Middlesex constituency in the general election of 1802. – but to the centre of which these xxxxxxx <great men> & these <great> things are very remote radii – to my own microcosm – damn the impudence of that mock-modesty phrase – tis a megalocosm & a megistocosm & a megistotatocosm too to me, & I care more about it than about all the old universe with Mr Herscheles new little planets,The astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822; DNB), whose discoveries included the planet Uranus. the last Eggs of the old Hen Nature – to boot

vale vale mi sodalis – The Latin translates as ‘farewell, farewell, my friend’. RS.

Tom desires to be remembered. come to Bath Grosvenor vale vale mi sodaAn abbreviation of ‘farewell, farewell, my friend’. – & then you <know> tis an easy ride to Bristol.

Kingsdown.
July 25. 1802.