2559. Robert Southey to Herbert Hill, 22 February 1815
2559. Robert Southey to Herbert Hill, 22 February 1815 *
This volume of the Register is not mine, [1] & I cannot conceive why Harry should have supposed it to be so. I do not know who has written it, nor indeed have I seen it.
I have the whole of the Cronicas published by Sancha, [2] – the first five volumes I bought very cheap in London, & the last (xxxx the Cron. del R Alfonso XI [3] ) you brought over with you. Besides these the Cron. of Henrique 4 [4] was printed but suppressed, – Ld. Holland has a copy, I believe without title or preface for the work being <was> stopt by authority. Allen [5] told me it was of very little value. – This beast Ferdinand [6] has no doubt deprived us of a thoroughly valuable book, – a history of the xx old Cortes in two quartos, by Marina, [7] who wrote an introduction to the last edition of the Partidas which was not printed with the work, but published under a separate title when the press became free. I was expecting his greater work when Ferdinand overthrew everything.
From Lisbon I shall be glad of the numbers of the Jornal de Coimbra [8] beginning with No 25, & of O Patriota [9] (the Rio Magazine) beginning with January 1814, – being the third subscription. Also Lisboa Destruida – a poem upon the Earthquake by P. Theodoro d’Almeida, [10] which I see announced among recent publications. I fear it would be xxxx hopeless to enquire for the histories of Paraguay by Montoya, [11] Lozano [12] & Xarque [13] of all which & especially the first I feel myself greatly in want. I believe It is very probable that Montoya would afford some notices respecting S Pauls, to which city (as you will see erelong) he pursued a set of the Paulista kidnappers. [14] I find no difficulty in reconciling the different accounts of these people given by the Portugueze & the Jesuits, – each party tells what the other found it prudent to suppress, & thus the whole truth comes out. Between both I have a very clear view of the subject.
You will find the discussions of the Portugueze Government concerning Pernambuco very curious & characteristic: I half suspect that Joam 4 himself was bitten by the Sebastianists, – or rather the Fifth-monarchy-men, as the Sebastianists after the Acclamation became for a time. [15] The Mesa de Conciencia [16] gravely allude to his becoming Lord of the World in their paper, & the Papel Forte concludes with the same expectation. This I have no doubt is Vieyras [17] not only from this passage, but from other internal evidence. The whole of this business is exceedingly curious; between pride, poverty, & perplexity the Government knew not how to act, it went on vacillating, procrastinating, expecting miracles & xxx trusting to time & chance, which actually at last brought it out of the scrape. – There is a history of the Dutch affairs for that century by Basnage [18] which I ought to have had, & one by Aitzema [19] from 1621 – to 1668 of enormous bulk, full of documents. I regret that I have not seen them, tho they would have tempted me into more detail than can well be afforded.
I remember the Secretary, [20] & thought he had been at this time a Lord of the Admiralty. Does he take this situation on account of his health?
The first term of my lease expires this time two years, – the property has just been sold, & I think it most likely that the purchaser will let out some of the ground for building, near enough to be a nuisance to these premises. In that case I shall move for which perhaps (if I live so long, & do well in the meantime) I may never be so well prepared as about that time, – looking to the purchase money for my history of the war [21] as the resource. Some times I think of fixing at Bath, as the place where there are most comforts to be obtained at the least expence, & especially for the sake of the baths, to which I have a Turkish propensity. But on the whole I should prefer being near you, & within reach of Harry & my London friends.
Oh how I wished for the Marquis last week! Some body was married & sent me some wedding cake. – Love to my Aunt & all the Bears [22] –
God bless you
RS.
22 Feby. 1815.
Notes
* Address: To/ The Reverend Herbert Hill/ Streatham/ Surry
Stamped: KESWICK/
298
MS: Keswick Museum and Art Gallery. ALS; 4p.
Unpublished. BACK
[1] Edinburgh Annual Register, for 1812 (1814). The historical section was written by the Scottish lawyer and writer, James Russell (1790–1861; DNB), as Southey’s last contribution was to the Edinburgh Annual Register, for 1811 (1813). BACK
[2] Cronicas de los Reyes de Castilla: Don Pedro, Enrique II & III, Juan I (1779–1780), published by Antonio de Sancha (1720–1790); Chronica de D. Alfonso et onceno de este nombre de los Reyes que Reynaron en Castilla y Leon (1787), no. 3258 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. BACK
[5] John Allen (1771–1843; DNB), political and historical writer, especially about Spain, who lived at Holland House. BACK
[6] Ferdinand VII (1784–1833; King of Spain 1808, 1813–1833). In 1814 he had abolished the liberal Constitution of 1812, arrested the leading liberals and restored the Inquisition. BACK
[7] Francisco Xavier Martinez Marina (1754–1833), eminent Spanish jurist and historian, and author of Ensayo Historico-Critico sobre la Legislacion y Principales cuerpos legales de los reinos de Leon y Castilla especialmente sobre el Codigo de las Siete Partidas de D. Alonso el Sabio (1808). He did not write a history of the Cortes. BACK
[9] O Patriota, Journal Litterario, Politico, Mercantil, &c. do Rio de Janeiro (1813–1814), no. 3641 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. BACK
[11] Antonio Ruiz de Montoya (1585–1652), Conquista Espiritual hecha por los Religiosos de la Compañia de la Jesus en la Provincias del Paraguay, Parana, Uruguay, y Tape (1639). BACK
[12] Pedro Lozano (1697–1752), Historia de la Compañia de la Jesús de la Provincia del Paraguay (1755). BACK
[13] Francisco Xarque (1609–1691), Insignes, Missioneros de la Compañia de Jesus Paraguay (1687). BACK
[14] History of Brazil, 3 vols (London, 1810–1819), II, pp. 310–312, though Montoya did not take part in this journey. BACK
[15] John IV (1604–1656; King of Portugal 1640–1656). The ‘Sebastianists’ believed Sebastian (1554–1578; King of Portugal 1557–1578) would return and usher in the Millennium. BACK
[16] The Mesa da Consciencia e Ordens was the Royal Council which administered ecclesiastical affairs. BACK
[17] Antonio Vieira (1608–1697), Portuguese Jesuit and writer. His Papel Forte (1647) argued Pernambuco should be ceded to the Dutch. BACK
[18] Jacques Basnage de Beauval (1653–1723), French Protestant writer who settled in the Netherlands His Annales des Province-Unies depuis la Paix de Munster (1719) was later acquired by Southey and was no. 237 in the sale catalogue of his library. BACK
