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British Library, Add MS 30928. Previously published: John Wood Warter (ed.), Selections from the Letters of Robert Southey, 4 vols (London, 1856), I, pp. 344–47 [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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It is very long since I have written to you, meantime you have heard of my intention to visit Portugal next year,
& of my journey to Edinburgh. Of both these xxx <subjects> I have something to say.
My Uncle advised me to go over this winter with my family. this was impossible,
as there is a pretty hard winters work before me. I shall go in the spring if Edith
does not chuse to accompany me, most likely in the autumn if she does – which indeed I expect. it would then be advisable or at
least pleasant to pass one more summer here, & to have the young one a few months older. My Uncle advises us to come by Carvalho’s shiprs Lovell in England. Edith does not like going, but she ought to go, & I believe will. At all events my
going is so resolved a thing that I have desired Longman & King Arthur to fill up my place in the fifth Annual Review, & after this year shall
have done with that sort of work for ever & ever Amen.
Elmsley & I spent three days with Walter
Scott on our way to Edinburgh. he enquired for you & desired to be remembered when I wrote. Campat what he did not talk of, – & how I on my part
without mentioning his review, quoted its phrases occasionally, took up his principles of criticism without once referring to
their application, & in the best natured way in the world made him fully sensible that he was – but five foot one. – Upon my
soul I cannot feel offended with a thing so insignificant. He has wit & readiness, but in taste & learning so mere a child
& so utterly feeble in intellect that I was actually astonished. Indeed the whole corps of Edinburgh reviewers appear
miserably puny to me who have been accustomed to live with strong men. Jeffrey came
back in the stage with us, to visit the ladies, & supt here, – so you see we are good friends. What I condemn in him is a
habit of speaking of xxx books worse than he thinks of them – because xxx ill-natured things are said with
better effect than good-natured ones, & liked better, & xxx for the sake of selling his review he often abuses
books in public print, which he makes no scruple to praise in conversation. But his praise & censure are alike
hap-hazard & worthless.
Edith instructed me to rig myself anew at Edinburgh with coat, hat, pantaloons &
boots, – which I meant to do, – but considering that cash was low with me, & that if learning was better than house &
land, it certainly must be much better than fine cloaths <apparel>, which is but sanity, – I returned with
the old I resolved to make the old cloaths last till next summer – & accordingly laid out the money at the
booksellers instead of the taylors. And a good box full did I send home, which it does my heart good to look at now that they are
arranged in due order upon the shelves.
Sir Domine went on Tuesday last, & was to reach Edinburgh last night. by
way of an episode in the his summer at the Lakes, he has fallen in love with Miss Noel, daughter of the member for
Rutlandshire, & grand-daughter of Lord Barham,
I have just begun my reviewing – & alas – my eyes this very day began to ail again. Dr Aikin has applied to me for Spanish & Port. literary lives in
his biography – which I have undertaken.xxx no doubt.
Almost I am tempted to trouble you to hunt for the books about the Cid that I might make a volume sure of popularity & of
sale, which could be done almost without labour.
No letter from Tom of a later date than the last of July & then he
had the fever worse than at any former attack. I am uneasy – but have been recollecting that ill news always travels fast, &
that in silence therefore there is nothing which ought to alarm me. – For politics I am quite sick at heart. the worst news of all
is the Duke of Yorks appointment