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 rce808 letterEEd.26.799 Romantic Circles, http://www.rc.umd.edu, University of Maryland College Park, MD August 15, 2011

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. Previously published: Kenneth Curry (ed.), New Letters of Robert Southey, 2 vols (London and New York, 1965), I, pp. 295-96 [misdated December 1802].Dating note: Probably written on Tuesday 21 June 1803, by which time Tom Southey was based at Spithead, and Southey was planning a trip to London ‘next Sunday’.

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.

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£ has been used for £, the pound sign

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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
799. Robert Southey to Thomas Southey, [21 June 1803] Address: To/ Lieutenant Southey/ H. M. S. Galatea/ Spithead./ SingleStamped: [partial] BRISTOLMS: British Library, Add MS 47890Previously published: Kenneth Curry (ed.), New Letters of Robert Southey, 2 vols (London and New York, 1965), I, pp. 295-96 [misdated December 1802].Dating note: Probably written on Tuesday 21 June 1803, by which time Tom Southey was based at Spithead, and Southey was planning a trip to London ‘next Sunday’. Dear Tom

Edward has just told me that it is settled between his Aunt & Uncle that he should go to sea. now tho he is somewhat too old – yet is this better than staying on shore for him. How do you suppose his mad Aunt has been disposing of him – she sent him down to visit a gentleman in HerefordshireUnidentified. – whom he had never seen. where he staid seven weeks – & after that a fortnight at an Inn at Kington waiting for money to return for which after all he was obliged to apply to Dr Thomas. Zounds I could swear for pure anger & vexation. – damnation – but to the point – can you get the boy a Royal ReefersA post as a midshipman in the Royal Navy. birth – of course on board any ship but your own? if you can do it with as little loss of time as possible – & if you cannot – tell me. that I may try & bestir myself – but I suppose you will find no difficulty. Poor boy I am always angry with him, & then angry with myself for feeling so – & yet it is enough to anger me to see such a sad whelp – to know what abilities he has, & who was his mother – & yet to see such a lamentable & shameless coxcomb.

Your letters & mine always cross. your shoes & gaiters shall be sent as soon as AmadisSouthey’s translation of Amadis of Gaul (1803). is ready. tell me how to direct them.

I am vexed that you should be so idly at Spithead. however this warWar was declared between Britain and France on 18 May 1803. will last long enough – & you may yet be out in time for the first harvest of Spanish prizes. we are in a scrape & all Europe will be against us – Amen! So be it! & if Old England do not make them sore & sick of their envious enmity – . that shutting up the ports is an evil that affects themselves as well as us. the products of the East & West Indies are become part of the necessaries of life throughout Europe. if they shut their ports against us – we close them against all other commerce – & even if we did not – whence are they to get sugar, if not from England by some conveyance or other.

What do you think? Mr TafisUnidentified; but perhaps connected to the agent for Maes Gwyn, William Gwyn (d. 1830). writes to say I may have Maes Gwyn & the outhouse by way of kitchen for ten pounds a year. I have just returned for answer that if Mr WilliamsRees Williams (d. 1812) of Aberpergym, prominent landowner and coal owner in the Vale of Neath. He was a patron of the literary revival in Glamorganshire. will make it into a kitchen for me & accommodate me with the heavy furniture I will give him twenty – & at the twelvemonths end – if the situation suits me upon trial – take the furniture at a fair valuation. huzza! if I should have it after all!

I go to London on Sunday next with Danvers, where I shall stay not longer than a fortnight. direct to me with John Rickman Esq. St Stephen’s Court. New Palace Yard. Westminster. but you will probably write to me sooner respecting Edward. – Margery goes on well – she is a very different animal from what you left her & more alive & kicking than ever.

God bless you – yours in haste – R Southey. Tuesday.

What is become of Grove?Samuel Grove (d. 1817), naval officer and colleague of Tom Southey’s. – JoeJoe was Tom Southey’s dog. breakfasted at home this morning. he & CupidCharles Danvers’s dog. both desire to be remembered.