189. Robert Southey to Joseph Cottle, [c. early December 1796] ⁠* 

You have four old engravings of mine in the Barton, by the Vivares:  [1]  three from Gaspar Poussin, [2]  one from Claude Lorrain. [3]  will you be kind enough to send them to me. the frames are good for nothing, & the prints may come safely, face to face.

they are old & dirty; I am going to write a poem upon one of them, & therefore must have it before me.

my dear friend I physiognomize every thing: even the very oysters may be accurately judged by their shells — I discovered this at Lisbon where they are deformed — hump-backed & good for nothing. is it not possible by the appearance of a river to tell what fish are in it? in the slow sluggish stream you will find the heavy chub — in the livelier current the trout & the pike. if a mans loves prints you have an excellent clue to his character. take for instance the inventory of mine at college. four views of the Ruins of Rome. Charles Fox. [4]  Belisarius. [5]  Niobe. [6]  & the landscapes. these last were a constant source of pleasure; I became acquainted with the inhabitants of every house, & knew every inch of ground in the prospect. they have formed for me many a pleasant day dream; I can methodize these into a little poem, & I think a good one.

In the mean time I shall write the two ballads, & if the weather be walkable bring them over on Tuesday morning: on which day Biggs will want four pages to make up his half sheet. if the weather be bad — I must supply him by the coach & come over the first fine day. Rosser shall at the same time receive a reinforcement.

I intend to make up one copy of the Poems with prints profiles & drawings. I think between us we may furnish our own copies very valuably thus. the profiles should be taken in red & the page they are on stained with tobacco water & bordered. there may be mine, Bedfords & Ediths as I have a sonnet addressed to her to prefix to the whole. we may get prints of Mary Wollstonecraft — Hambden — Falkland [7]  & Rousseau: & drawings of Godstow Nunnery — Chepstow Castle &c. of course a work of time, but it would render the book very valuable. I forgot the tomb of Rousseau which you can copy from the print.

I am now again settled. my books are organized in the closet, & this evening I set off again on my race. by the by can you feel among M^r Floors [8]  periodical parcels which has a small folio at the bottom, as that very identical folio contains the arguments of my two ballads. it is not the last, which was packed up on Tuesday & not directed by me. if you can physiognomize the parcel send that <it> by him on Monday next.

we have a story of a ghost here who appears to the watchman — the spirit of a poor girl whose life was most abandoned, & death most horrible. I am in hopes it may prove true as I have a great love for apparitions. they make part of the poetical creed. fare you well

sincerely yrs

Robert Southey.

Thursday morning.

Ediths love to you & your sisters.