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Bodleian Library, MS Eng. Lett. c. 24. Previously published: Charles Cuthbert Southey (ed.), Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, 6 vols (London, 1849–1850), III, pp. 311–312 [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.
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I want to know what was the nature of a peculiarly obnoxious tax in Catalonia called La Contribucion del Personal,
& abolished by the Supreme Junta, as a reward for the patriotism of the Catalans.
We start on Tuesday, so that before this reaches you we shall be on the road. Meaning however to halt at Nottingham
for a day or two I do not expect to make my transit thro Lon over the stones before Monday. After a day or two’s rest I
shall find my way to town, & look for you <& call> at the Chequers, in order to for the
purpose of introducing myself to your Wig & your improved appearance. Polly the poney & the good Grey Steed are I believe
the <your> only acquaintance at Keswick who have not heard of your
convalescence in return to their inquiries, but I trust you will not impute their silence to any unkindness.
I compleated the Register last night. Its enormous length has cost me at least three months labour more than the
former volume, the whole of which is dead loss of the only capital I possess in the world.
So John Thelwall lectures tomorrow upon the Curse of Kehama!r Johnson liked Mrs Mary Cobb. “I love Moll, said he, – I love Moll Cobb for her impudence.”continues so in his has not changed his opinion tho he
holds his tongue about it) & tho he narrowly escaped hanging for high treason,good
honest fellow honest fellow & has a good heart. He is a clever fellow too in the midst of his quackery. And so
partly because I like him for the aforesaid reasons (his quondam approximation to the honours of Tyburn being one) – & partly
because half an hours conversation with him will afford matter of mirth for half a year afterwards, I will certainly call upon
John when I go to town, & shake hands with him once more. – Ah Grosvenor! people may say what they will about good company, or
what Sharpe xmore suovery best’ society, – “the-very-best,”– there is no company after all like that of an odd fellow,
whom you can laugh with, & laugh at, & laugh about, till
your eyes overflow with the very oil of gladness.