2027. Robert Southey to Herbert Hill, 1 February 1812
2027. Robert Southey to Herbert Hill, 1 February 1812 *
My advertisement for Books [1] has done its work effectually at last. Mr James Gooden, [2] who has been living at Lisbon in the house with Sealey, [3] collected books & papers in Brazil & has offered me the use of them. Among the books there are three which will be of service, – Collecçaõ dos Breves Pontificios &c sobre as liberdades das pessoas, bens &c dos Indios do Brazil. [4] Chronica dos Frades Minores da Provincia do Brazil por Fr. Ant: de S. Maria Jaboataõ, [5] – one of the books for which you wrote to Lisbon in vain, – & the long sought for life of P. Joam de Almeida, [6] which of all books in the world is the one I wanted the most. Of his MSS I have only asked at present for a defence of the Jesuits, [7] written about the time of Pombal’s [8] disgrace, & confined (this volume) to the provinces of Paraguay & Maranhaõ. But he has many others which will be useful. Participaçaõ Geral do Rio Negro &c – pelo Naturalista Al Ruiz Ferreira. [9]
Diario de Viagem que a expediçaõ destinada a demarcaçao &c fez so Rio Negro até Villa Bella &c. [10] Besides others which he tells Robinson he could lend with a verbal explanation. I have not asked him for any of these yet, because the others will be as much as I can get through for some time, & are what will be wanted first. Perhaps when you go to town you will call upon him & get sight of them. He lives in Swithins Lane, but has not given me the number, however as he is a Merchant, there can be no difficulty in discovering him. You might get the papers into your hands, & some of them may be worth transcribing – Robinson speaks very highly of Goodens manners & conversation, – he was xxx educated in Germany for a mercantile life & there acquired a love of letters.
I have no time for more, – except to say that I shall look anxiously for news of my unborn cousin. Our love to my Aunt, – I hope the Man & his brother are as well as their Welsh Nephew & nieces.
RS.
Feby 1. 1812. Keswick
Notes
* Address: To / The Reverend Herbert Hill / Streatham
Postmarks: [partial] o’Clock/
4 FE/ 1812 Nn
MS: Keswick Museum and Art Gallery. ALS; 3p.
Unpublished. BACK
[2] Southey later publicly thanked Gooden for ‘the Life of F. Joam d’Almeida, among other books, and a manuscript Apology for the Jesuits in Paraguay and Maranham, of great importance’, see Southey’s History of Brazil, 3 vols (London, 1810–1819), II, p. [v]. BACK
[4] Colleccao dos Breves Pontificios, e Leys Regias, que Formo Expedidos, e Publicadas desde o anno de 1741, sobre as liberdades das Pessoas, Bens, e Commercio dos Indios do Brasil (n.d.), no. 3359 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. BACK
[5] Antonio de Santa Maria Jaboatao (1695–1763/1765), Novo Orbe Serafico Brazilico ou Chronica dos Frades Minores da Provincia do Brazil (1761). BACK
[6] Simon de Vasconcellos (1599–1670), Vida do Joam d’Almeida (1658). This was a life of the English-born Jesuit missionary, John Almeida (1571–1653). BACK
[7] Unidentified. This is one of the works that Southey thanked Gooden for supplying in History of Brazil, 3 vols (London, 1810–1819), II, p. [v]. BACK
[8] Sebastiao Jose de Carvalho e Melo, Marquess of Pombal (1699–1782), Prime Minister of Portugal 1750–1777. BACK
[9] This work was probably a manuscript account of the travels of the naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira (1756–1815) in north-central Brazil in 1783–1792. BACK
[10] Possibly Francisco Xavier Ribeiro de Sampaio (1741–1812?), Diario da Viagem que em visita e correicao das provoacoes da capitana de S. Jose do Rio Negro fez o ouvidor e intendente geral da mesma no ano de 1774 e 1775, no. 3859 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. This was a manuscript of a work that was not published until 1825. BACK
