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National Library of Wales, MS 4811D. Previously published: Adolfo Cabral (ed.), Robert Southey: Journals of a Residence in Portugal 1800–1801 and a Visit to France 1838 (Oxford, 1960), pp. 134–137.
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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I have a letter already written for you which will sail next week
with the parcel that contains Thalaba, but the state of my finances occasions me
to write before that Packet sails. I draw upon John May thro his Uncle & partner here.
In the Irish way I must refer you to the letter that you have not
received for an answer to your last; & gallop thro this as fast as I can
lest the Post should leave me behind. – the Yellow Fever has not yet reached us
& the hubbub of invasion has long subsided. Of the paper money I have before
detailed the evil consequences at present a new financial operation <operation> is about to be
adopted, not in opposition to system & experience – but in sheer ignorance –
the copper is to be called in, recoined, & issued at double its value – to
the great advantage of our Birmingham traders, who have already sent over a
brave cargo of bank notes. provisions are most enormously dear – the every one raising the price of his commodity
to repay the discount which he loses. the poor
& the servants of government suffer the whole loss – & the
poor pay the advance upon every thing with no increase of xx wages adequate. the wisdom of thus defrauding
their army & navy officers of a fifth part of their pay is too obvious to
need a comment. moreover they have reformed the army – that is taken away the
regiments from their Colonels – & left the old officers who have grown grey
in the service with less than they had thirty years ago.
You know the precarious state of Lisbon. the earthquake may
shatter it today. it may be only warned by its annual slight shocks. the state
stands upon as uncertain a foundation. the court is poor, & blindly &
beastily ignorant. provisions dearer than in any other part of Europe. the
Princest Francis & his xxx
flour-&-water-Deity round the town, & feasting <a> the set of beggarly friars – the most ignorant
& blackguard of all the monastic orders & thus he spends his time, &
lies down at night with the idea that he has done his duty in the day. He has
had a monument made for the Prince of Waldeck
But with all this court devotion a spirit of toleration exists
formerly unknown in Portugal. there is no doubt that he would think it a good
deed to burn a few Jews, & that the mob would think it good fun. mobs are
never tolerant. Were you to roast a Socinian in England there would be a holyday
over the Kingdom & all the church bells would ring. to the ministry &
higher clergy this moderation or indifference must be imputed. the friars if I
may judge by what I have seen & heard envy the fate of their brethren in
France, & like them would gladly join a revolution which – whatever it did
to the other classes of society, certainly gave liberty to them. A Portugueze of
good family had in a sister in a French nunnery.
on the dissolution of the convents he immediately secured her an admission here
& wrote to her to come with all speed from the land of Atheism. she replied
– she was very much obliged to him – but she was married.
To the prevalence of indifference or infidelity I attribute this
sort of toleration. my man observed to me one day that no miracles were worked
now – & the reason was there was not faith. Sir said he, there was a man in
my country who was very ill & he wanted to have a relic & there was none
to be had. so one of his friends cut a piece of dry stick, & wrapt it up in
a linen cloth & put it into bed to him, & told him that was a piece of
St Somebody staff. & the man got up well – for his faith cured him. Is not the
failure of miracles like the silence of the Oracles? the juggle is over –
perhaps the people are too wise to be cheated, perhaps the clergy are too
wealthy to cheat. their predecessors made their fortune – & they have given
over trade & are enjoying it.
But all is silently done. No hand has laid the Axe to the great Upas Tree the canker from France has reached it – & it is ready to fall with the rottenness of age. the few books that are published could not be hostile to the established systems – if the Authors wished – & the Saints have usually their fair portion of pages – a full tythe in kind.
–
About India my mind fluctuates. my inclination is against it decidedly – & in the opposite scale perhaps curiosity is a heavier weight than prudence. [MS torn] it is certain that a hot climate suits me. perhaps is even necessary. if that should prove the case it will be Hobsons choice. but India is too hot for comfort – & I have an abhorrence of East-Indianised Englishmen. the South of Europe would [MS obscured]redly be my choice – if I could chuse. I like this country so well that I should be content to exchange the society & the fire & the fogs & the bread & butter of England for the filth & the fruit & the sun of Portugal, with no better equipage thro life than a jack-ass.
I am going a round-about journey to Batalha & Alcobaça &
Thomar & Santarem.xx salt
provisions – by way of dieting for the scurvy which is raging among them. we
shall have the land stript if they arrive. God bless you. write soon & write
often.
I have got a Portugueze version of the Guerras Civiles.1596 <1566>
xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxx. the Devil is
always tempting me here in the shape of a Spanish book. indeed Lisbon would
be a book-Paradise to me – if I was not somewhat in the situation of
Tantalus.