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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. 193-196 [in part].
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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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.
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I thought you would know from Wynn that I
trespass on my eyes only for short letters – or from Rickman to whom
my friend Danvers will have carried the latest news of me
this day. if those unhappy eyes had been well you would ere
this have received Kehama.
You have seen my Cidthis
song the language in itself poetical becomes more
poetical by necessary compression – if it smack of romance –
so does the story. in the notes the certain will be
distinguished from the doubtful, passages quoted, &
references to author & page uniformly given. Thus much
for this which is no specimen of my historical style. indeed
I do not think uniformity of style desirable – it should
rise & fall with the subject & adapt itself to the
matter. moreover in my own judgement a little peculiarity of
style is desirable, because it nails down the matter to the
memory – you remember the facts of Livy – but you remember
the very phrase of Tacitus & Sallust,
As a different specimen I wish you could see
a life of S. Franciscolaze & play whist
till bed time.
Your story of Duppa & the Apples is an excellent story – & your note is a good note. Snakes have been pets in England. is it not Cowley who has a poem upon one –
Take heed fair Eve you do not make
Another tempter of the Snake –
They ought to be tamed & taken into
our service. for snakes eat mice – & can get into their
holes after them – & in our country the venomous species
is so rare that we should think them beautiful animals were
it not for a recollection of the old Serpent. When I am housed & homed (as by the blessing of God I shall be – or
hope to be in the next Spring – not that the negociation is
over yet – but I expect it will end well – & that I
shall have a house in the loveliest part of South Wales – in
a vale between high mountains – & an onymous house too
Grosvenor – & one that is down in the map of
Glamorganshire, & its name is Maes Gwyn – & so
much for that & theres an end of my parenthesis) then do I purpose to enter into a grand
confederacy with certain of the animal world. every body has
a dog – except those who keep a bitch – e.g. as Snivel
there – two pages in a make a letter of decent length from such a
poor blind Cupid
Robert Southey – & I hope to finish the second letter of Kehama in a few days.