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British Library, Add MS 47888. Previously published: Charles Cuthbert Southey (ed.), Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, 6 vols (London, 1849–1850), IV, pp. 45 [undated; in part]; Kenneth Curry (ed.), New Letters of Robert Southey, 2 vols (London and New York, 1965), II, pp. 86-88.
These letters were edited with the assistance of Carol Bolton, Tim Fulford and Ian Packer
For permission to publish the text of MSS in their possession, the editor wishes to thank the Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscript Library, Yale University; Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations; the Bodleian Library Oxford University; the British Library; Boston Public Library; the Syndics of Cambridge University Library; the Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge; Haverford College, Connecticut; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; the Hornby Library, Liverpool Libraries and Information Services; the Houghton Library, Harvard University; the John Rylands Library, Manchester; the Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas; Luton Museum (Bedfordshire County Council); Massachusetts Historical Society; McGill University Library; the National Library of Scotland; the Newberry Library, Chicago; the New York Public Library (Pforzheimer Collections); the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York; the Public Record Offices of Bedford, Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) and Northumberland, the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge; the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne; the Trustees of the William Salt Library, Stafford, the Wisbech and Fenland Museum; the University of Virginia Library.
A research grant from the British Academy made much of the archival work possible, as did support from the English Department of Nottingham Trent University.
Any dashes occurring in line breaks have been removed.
Because of web browser variability, all hyphens have been typed on the U.S. keyboard.
Dashes have been rendered as a variable number of hyphens to give a more exact rendering of their length.
Southey’s spelling has not been regularized.
Writing in other hands appearing on these manuscripts has been indicated as such, the content recorded in brackets.
& has been used for the ampersand sign.
£ has been used for £, the pound sign
All other characters, those with accents, non-breaking spaces, etc., have been encoded in HTML entity decimals.
There my dear Edith are some choice verses for you. I composed them in St James Park yesterday, on
my way from the Chamberlain’s office where a good old Gentleman-Usher by name
Wortham or Worthan,xxxx man in a wig & a bag & a snuff-coloured full dress with cut
steel buttons, & a sword, administered an oath in which I swore to reveal all treasons which might come to my knowledge, & to
obey the Ld Chamberlain upon the Kings service, & in his stead the Vice Chamberlain. Vice-Chamberlain.
Inclosed are half-bills for 160£.danger <a chance> of delay from a circumstance over which I have no controul. You must know that there is a
possible danger that the Prince may ask me to dine with him, & no
engagement is allowed to interfere with such an invitation. I do not think this will happen, & heartily hope that it may not, but
it has been suggested by one or two persons that it may, & therefore I cannot venture to take my place in the mail, while there is
this possibility of being compelled to lose it. At the worst it will be but a day or two delay, – bad enough. Xx At the best
it exposes me to the chance of not finding a place in the mail when I go to take one after the Levee.
Upon this chance therefore you will give me a few lines by return of post to acknowledge the halfnotes. After paying
Danvers, fees & all London bills & expences, & reserving ample
enough for my journey & contingent expences, this is no xx scanty surplus which I now remit to you.
I came to Rickmans last night. Writing hastily, & at an
uncomfortable distance from a poor fire I am rambling on without order or connection. While I was as the Pursuits of Literature said of
me “musing in the Park, – my six lined poem – not a Joan of Arc”r John Lack,xxx <to> whom Edward says he is married. This person he
described as being such a man as Tom Southey. – I went to learn the girls
history, & was prepared by this character to expect a sour & ill natured report. But I found an excellent old man & a
dismal history of his brother the father of this girl, of her & all her connections.more excellent <worthier> woman. He is between 70 [MS torn] 80 & has sons who are well off in official
situations & in fortune.xx spoke of this poor woman, who is at this time dying, & told me how his rascally
brother had forsaken her & was at this living with another woman in wretchedness & xxxx beggary, by xxx
whom he has another family.
Wynn is in town & I go to him after breakfast. We left Woburn
I will see Martha to day, & Robert tomorrow. It is needless to say how I am hurried, & how incessantly occupied
& engaged. A few days more will set me free, & if the levee be on Thursday I xxx heartily hope to be at home on the
Sunday, – earlier, if an earlier day be fixed.
Breakfast is ready – so God bless you. Love to all – kiss the children for me – I cannot tell you to xxx xxx
to xx discharge the same commission of love to yourself. – dear Edith once more farewell.