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. Previously published: Charles Cuthbert Southey (ed.), Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, 6 vols (London, 1849–1850), IV, pp. 17–18 [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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The Life of Nelsonthat
who, after the manner of printers, has given me plenty of time, by taking his own. – This was a subject which I should never have
dreamt of touching, if it had not been thrust upon me: – I have walked among sea terms as carefully as a cat does among crockery,
– but if I have succeeded in making the narrative continuous & clear, – the very reverse of what it is in the lives before me,
– the materials are in themselves so full of character, so picturesque & so sublime that it cannot fail of being a good
book.
I am in bad hands with the bookseller Ballantyne, who is manifestly
a shuffling fellow & a knave. Luckily however he & his brother (who is a
man of character) have more dependant upon me than I have upon them. But I shall cast about to get clear of the connection, &
emancipate myself as soon as possible from periodical labour. If my reputation does not already enable me to do this it soon will,
for I can distinctly xxxxx <feel> its growth. I am very much inclined to attempt under some such title as the Age
of George 3xxx sketch of the revolutions which, almost every
where & in all things, have taken place within the last half-century. Any comparison which it might induce with Voltaire
When you wrote there was no more of Roderickd & 4th – books & will soon have two more which are nearly transcribed, & then I will
desire xx 4 him to convey them to you. I am in the 11thth, which is rather more
than halfway, xx the remainder of the way will be like travelling down-hill. Scotts Pegasus gets on by help of the same spur as the mare in the proverb.xxx goes on with a sure foot. From what I hear said of
Rokebyxx
likely to be less succesful than its predecessors, – I think it of the same merit as well as the same character, – but the story
is less pleasing & the story is that of which every reader can judge.
You wonder that I should submit to any expurgations in the Quarterly. The fact is that there must be a power
expurgatory in the hands of the Editor, & the misfortune is that Editors frequently think it incumbent upon them to use it
merely because they have it. I do not like to break with the Review, – because Gifford has been something more than merely civil to me, & offered me services which I had no reason to expect,
& luckily no occasion to accept – because the review gives me (& shame it is that it should be so) more repute than any
thing else which I could do, & it would not be prudent to kick away the ladder till I have got up; – & because there is no
channel thro which so much effect can be given to what I may think it important to impress upon the opinion of the public. I could
certainly transfer my communications to Weylandsxx <as> it runs the same road
with the Quarterly, it is like an opposition coach, – & the same reason would of course prevent me from sending any thing to
it, unless I went to it wholly. – Another thing is that whatever credit the Quarterly may give xx me, tells directly
with Murray, with whom I am more likely to make engagements than with any other
publisher, – & with the readers of the Q. who set the fashion about books. My aim & hope is ere long, to support myself by
the sale of half my time, – & have the other half for the completion of my Opus Majus.is likely <will> to be too good to be popular, I have no objection however to say “Paulo minora,”
My aunt I believe will see her
god-daughters portrait in the Exhibition. Dawe
Coleridges play