2686. Robert Southey to John Rickman, 22 December 1815 ⁠* 

My dear R.

For the last week I have been shut up in the house by snow, – no evil for one like myself who am as little addicted to dispensible exercise as tho I were a Turk. Meantime I have been making good progress in prose & in rhyme.

I was exceedingly pleased to find that Herbert had gone on during my absence, with his German testament [1]  as regularly & well as possible. The great difficulty in this language seems to be the vocabulary, as in the Dutch, – & as yet I do not find that the one affords much assistance in the other. I have subscribed to the Saxon Chronicle, & do not think myself too old for studying my mother tongue in its oldest form, when it shall arrive; for which purpose I shall read it with Herbert, who bids fair, if he lives, to have more knowledge than his father, & to be as well disposed to make use of it. [2] 

Part of my foreign purchases have reached London, & I am told the Acta Sanctorum [3]  among them. The result of my memorial [4]  I do not know, – but enormous as the duty is (it is scandalous that such a duty should exist) I would rather pay it threefold than be without this invaluable collection. It would be a worthy task (were there any chance of its answering in sale) to do what was begun in xx Belgium before the Revolution, – extract from this work the xx parts lines which relate to this country, add to them such Irish materials as can be found, with annotations &c, & publish them apart in chronological series, – as essential materials for British history. It is for such things as this that we want an Academy like ours in Spain; [5]  & if ever Canning should be in power I will urgently endeavour to persuade him to have the credit of promoting one

God bless you

RS.

Keswick. 22 Dec. 1815