1366. Robert Southey to Mary Barker, 2 October 1807 ⁠* 

Thursday. October 2. 1807

Senhora whether I finish it or not I will begin a letter to you this evening, for in plain truth the cock of my conscience crows loudly upon that subject, & in order to get thro it as fast as possible that it may go by this post I will scribble away in the news-mongering shepistolary style.

In the first place you will be glad to hear that ever since you left us Mrs Peachy has continued to amend – here she still is, keeping at home always in the evening, & indeed never venturing out but in the very tempting weather, – & wonderfully recovered. We were there last night – they have carried off Miss Wood from Netherhall, [1]  you would have liked to see her good-natured face, to have heard her burr, I to have seen her walk short, & walk tall as she calls it, – which kept me in a roar of laughter. I like her well.

We have had some pleasant Lakers here. Mr & Mrs Smith, whom you may remember we expected, – & Dr & Mrs Reeve of Norwich [2]  a new-married couple, the Lady an old flame of another Doctors, which said Doctor has a way of falling in love wherever he goes. I knew her before, & should for every possible reason have liked her for a sister-in-law. Her husband is an able & very pleasant man, who has caught a good deal of Wm Taylors manner, & resembles him in dialect & in the tone of his voice, sufficiently to insure him a good portion of liking from me; – for if a dog came here from Wm Taylor with a direction tied to his tail he should be had in, made a parlour guest at dinner, & admitted to lie before the study fire in the evening.

This morning Sir John Jackass [3]  made his appearance. I believe he is little short of seven feet high. He was in haste, passing from Colgarth to Workington; – asked some good statistic questions, looked out at the window, lent me another book about Ossian, which is to be sent to Edinburgh by coach & will cost him half a crown for carriage, – & then off he stalked again. Certainly from his conversation & appearance I should not have expected any thing so foolish as his letters to me.

I am under a good deal of anxiety about Grosvenor Bedford. he left Wynnstay about ten days ago meaning to come here. What is become of him God knows, – but meantime letters have reached me inclosing accounts of death. his brother Horace’s  [4]  As poor Horace  [5]  was deranged, & miserabley ill, this is a happy event, – he will not however immediately consider it so: & I am expecting him hourly under these very unpleasant circumstances, – having this intelligence to meet him with instead of the welcome which he expects. And worst of all I fear he is detained by illness upon the road. He has a liver complaint, & I very very much fear will soon follow his brother. [6]  I have so many old & rooted feelings of kindliness towards Grosvenor Bedford who is almost my oldest acquaintance in this world – that this is a very painful thought.

The Doctor as usual is got into a scrape in Portugal. He & Mary Sealy have been thrown together at Cintra, – she has been under his care & as she got well of the disease – got sick of the Doctor. Things have gone so far that he asked her father for her & has been refused. Mr Sealy [7]  was to blame in this. it is in his power by setting Harry forward in the world to make it quite as good a match as he has any reason to expect for his daughter. I suppose it will hurt her health, already too tender, – & that then he will consent.

We have mist you much – & I never think of you (which if I were disposed not to do my books would make me fifty times a day,) [8]  without wishing we could make Penkridge & Penrith [9]  just change that half of their names which makes the difference, – & their inhabitants at the same time. It is very abominable that we are not near neighbours. – We go on well – I have had three sheets of the Cid, [10]  & wished you had been here to have partaken my joy at the first. – The Imperial goes on talking about D. Manuel, [11]  A Laker whom Koster sent here began about it & asked me if I thought it a translation. Why Sir – said I, that is not an easy question to answer. I should think not from the quantity of information which the book contains, – yet the notes seem to imply that it is. Would you not like to be present when the discovery is made to the Colonel – There will be some difficulty in making him understand the truth. – He played the cymbals last night to admiration.

You have done with [MS torn] just as I expected – I well knew that whatever resolutions you made – your good sense & good temper would necessarily get the better at last. There are not many things in this life which are worth being seriously angry about – Perhaps I should say nothing but moral guilt & political folly.

As soon as Palmerin [12]  is published I shall desire Longman to send you it, together with Amadis [13]  & Espriella, – making I believe all my books which you have not got. – Can you send me some gold-leaf in a frank? – The Count is just the same, yawning & sawneying, talking about human beings, & wanting the horse whip as usual. Edith’s love – a kiss from your goddaughter & Toms love into the bargain.

God bless you.

RS.