1849. Robert Southey to William Gifford, 4 January 1811 ⁠* 

My dear Sir

If you are not provided with a reviewal of Capt Pasleys book upon our Military Policy, will you entrust it to my hands for your next number, – & I will promise you an article in a right English spirit, [1]  – I should like also in the compass of about two pages to counteract the mischief which such a rascally x work as Lewis Goldsmiths is calculated, & as I believe designed to do, by its absurd & palpable falshoods. – [2] 

My history of Brazil is very favourably, very kindly, & very well reviewed. [3]  – With regard to the want of generalization, & of retrospective views this is a charge to which I have rendered myself liable by publishing the work in portions. The fit time for a retrospect is at the close of the Dutch war, [4]  – the fit place for generalization at the conclusion of the history. With regard to the words which are specified as unusual, in every instance except one I think they can be justified. coronet is a word appropriate to xxxxxx rank heraldry & rank, – a savage head-dress of feathers is not a coronet, nor am I do I know any word except coronal by which it can appro properly be called. I use tambour instead of drum, because drum represents to us a specific musical instrument in daily use, – altogether different from any among the savages. I use napery instead of napkins & table-cloths because it is a comprehensive word expressing both. Poitrals because exclusively appropriated to horse armour, – a breast-plate belonging to a man. The word Broad in the sense which I have used it, is in common use in Norfolk, & will I have no doubt be found in the maps of that country: it is that species of lake which is formed by a great river xxxxxx on its course, – differing from lake & from lagoon. & required for We must go to provincialisms when we want to designate natural objects with precision, – for upon in such things the dialect of the metropolis is necessarily deficient. Plumery I allow has no advantage over feathers except that I like it better in its place. – The cause of my misuse of the word Lutheranism is rightly guessed at – I fell into the obvious error from having the word Luteranos constantly before my eyes. – Araboutan is not as the reviewer thinks the native name of the country, which was too extensive & in too wild a state to have a general name, – but of the Brazil-tree.

If I understand my own manner of writing, the style always grows out of the subject. I have no other rule or system than that of always expressing myself 1. as perspicuously as possible. 2 as impressively as possible. 3 – as concisely as possible. Excuse me for having intruded upon you with this subject. & receive it as a proof of the attention with which I am at all willing to listen xx to criticism when it comes in a friendly tone.

Believe me my dear Sir

Yrs with true respect

Robert Southey

Keswick. Jan^y. 4. 1811.