1741. Robert Southey to Nicholas Lightfoot, 5 February 1810 ⁠* 

Feb^y. 5. 1810. Keswick.

My dear Lightfoot

I have more than once been thinking of addressing a letter to Crediton for the sake of ascertaining whether you were in this world or the next, & had not my occupations been so numerous & so constant that every hour brings with it its business, you would long ere this have been troubled with a question to that effect. – The history of my unfortunate brother Edward I can carry on as far as last summer. – Having obtained the Ensigncy to which you allude he wrote to inform me of it, to which <&> I replied by a letter of exhortation. Some months afterwards he acquainted me with his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, – & I wrote to him again in a manner which implied more hopes of his reformation than I really felt. In July last there came a letter to me from a Major Chamberlayne [1]  with the army in Portugal, stating that he had discovered a brother of mine in the ranks, – that he had taken him by the hand, – & obtained him a commission in a Portugueze regiment which he was then raising, – & that Lord J Fitzroy [2]  had insisted upon fitting him out for this new appointment. I replied to Major Chamberlayne as such conduct from one who was a perfect stranger to me deserved, – & expressed an ominous apprehension that even this fresh opportunity of retrieving himself would be lost upon poor Edward; – an apprehension xxxx founded not merely upon my thorough knowledge of his nature, but also upon the melancholy symptoms shown in a letter from himself, which arrived by the same post as Chamberlaynes, – in which he imputed this change in his fortunes wholly to his own good conduct, & never mentioned one of the persons who had so generously befriended him. My fears were soon verified – & the last I heard of him by a circuitous channel was that he was taking up money, xxx drafts upon Mrs Tyler, – had left the regiment, & sold his mule, – in short was become a vagabond again. By what means he lost his Militia Commission & was reduced into the ranks of the regulars I have never learnt. – You see how th hopeless it is, – it is a case of moral insanity, – perfectly incurable.

Since last you heard <from> me I have had two daughters born, – & laid one of them to rest, – a sweet child of 15 months, – cut off in a few hours by an attack of cholera morbus as we suppose it to have been. I have x now three living, & God be praised doing & promising well. the eldest in her sixth year, the youngest not quite having completed her first. As my expences increase my means increase with them. I hold the pen of a ready writer, & find time to raise my ways & means, as well as to produce works for which however great the reward may be which they will entail upon my name, I expect no remuneration. I bear a part in the Quarterly Review, – in the first number there is a defence of the Missionaries in India with which I think you would be pleased. [3]  – I am at present engaged in writing the historical part of a new Edinburgh Annual Register, [4]  the first volume of which will appear next spring. These are anonymous labours, which obtain me immediate reputation with the booksellers & being written bonâ fide & with hearty good will bear upon them a stamp which any person who knows me will recognize as the mark of Robert Southey, – a man who never let <any> one mistake his principles – what<how>ever they might mistake his character.

The first vol of my Hist of Brazil [5]  will be published in a few weeks & I have just sent a Poem [6]  to press, which every body will stare at. & most people will abuse. You will be surprized at hearing that I dedicate it to Landor of Trinity, a man of such marvellous genius that I regret to think we should have been so near neighbours without knowing each other in the days of our youth. [7]  Have you seen Espriellas Letters? [8]  if so you would probably father them upon me. – The Remains of H K White  [9] . which I published for th his family have been in an extraordinary degree succesful. It will amuse you to hear that this work procured me a letter from – Horse Campbell; – who is a Methodist of the first order, having been expelled the Diocese of Oxford for field preaching. [10]  He began by recalling himself to my recollection – as if any body could possibly have forgotten him! – told me he had skipt all the poems, having no taste for any poetry above the pitch of a Tabernacle Hymn, – & that the object of his writing was to learn whether I might not have supprest some papers as too pious, – which would have been in a high degree consolatory to such Xtians as himself, – if so he should he happy to subscribe to their publication. He then proceded to express the concern he was under for the state of my soul. & concluded by inviting me & all my family (if I had any) to Shrewsbury – where I suppose I was to put my soul under his care. – I would as willingly trust my body to him upon the strength of the anatomical knowledge which he picked up from Dr Pegge  [11]  & his aide de camp M^r West. [12] 

Bedford is my most constant correspondent. In worldly circumstances he <is> well off having an official situation of nearly 1000£ a year, [13]  – but his lot has been a heavy one. Family misfortunes press upon him, his brother Horace lost his senses & died a few years ago, – & worst of all he is in <such> a state of health himself, that I very very much fear he will soon follow him. It will be a heavy blow to me whenever that happens, – there has scarcely elapsed a month during 18 years in which we have not interchanged letters, – & tho it would be unjust to others to say that he is the dearest of my friends, – he is the most familiar of them, – a word which in this sense implies so much affection, that it brings tears into my eyes when I use it. xxxx

Duppa past a few days with me in the autumn. I wish Crediton were nearer that I might the sooner hope to be introduced to your wife, [14]  – make acquaintance with my God-daughter, [15]  & see whether you look like a schoolmaster.

If you have not seen Espriella I will send a copy with the new edition of Thalaba. [16]  – xxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxx xxxxx xxxx xxxxx xx xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxx xx xxxx xxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxxx

God bless you my old friend

Robert Southey. [17]