1810. Robert Southey to John Mitford, 30 September 1810
1810. Robert Southey to John Mitford, 30 September 1810 *
Keswick. Sept. 30. 1810.
Sir
I should be very glad if any opinion of mine could be useful to a man of letters in any way; – to any friend of Mr Heber [1] I am happy to have an opportunity of shewing my sense of the civilities which I have received from him, – but one poet needs no introduction to another. When Hesiod says
φθονεει και αοιδος αοιδιο [2]
he only means ballad singers.
Mr Longman will transmit your MS. [3] to Keswick, & you shall receive an xxxx honest opinion upon it, – whatever it may be in other respects. But there is little encouragement for poetry in these days.
I am Sir
Yrs with respect
Robert Southey
Notes
* Address: To/ The Reverend John Mitford/ Benhall Parsonage/ Saxmundham/ Suffolk/
Single
Stamped: KESWICK/ 298
Postmark: [partial] 4 OC 4/ 1810
Seal: Red wax; design illegible
MS: Beinecke Library,
Osborn C18th Bound MSS, Osborn fc 76, vol 2, item 151. ALS; 2p.
Unpublished. BACK
[1] Reginald Heber and Mitford had been close friends since their time at Oxford University. However, Mitford was also a ‘friend’ of his brother, Richard Heber (see Southey to Heber, 9 April 1811, Letter 1900), so Southey is probably referring to Richard Heber, who had lent him so many books. BACK
