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National Art Library, London, MS Forster 48 D.32 MS 33. ALS; 4p. . Previously published: Charles Cuthbert Southey (ed.), Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey, 6 vols (London, 1849–1850), V, pp. 20–22 [in part].
These letters were edited with the assistance of Ian Packer and Lynda Pratt
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Southey's spelling has not been regularized.
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Wordsworths
“Peter Bell”Genius powers as a poet, as you have of his. Wesley & the third
vol. of BrazilEx Officio
Your poem has not found its way to me.
The times make less impression upon me than upon men who live more in
the political world. The present perhaps appears to you, at a
distance, worse than it is. The future will be – what we may
chuse to make it. There is an infernal spirit abroad, & crushed it must be.
Crushed it will be beyond all doubt, – but the question is whether it will be cut
short in its course, or suffered to spend itself like a fever. In the latter case
our progress we shall go on thro a bloodier revolution than that of
France to an iron military government, – the only possible termination of Jacobinism.
It is a misery to see in what manner the press is employed to poison the minds of the
people, & eradicate every thing that is virtuous, every thing that is honourable,
every thing upon which the order & peace & happiness of society are founded.
The recent laws have stopt the twopenny supply of blasphemy & treason; & a
few of the lowest & vilest offenders are laid hold-of.d. per issue. The government had also made
a determined effort to prosecute radical newspapers.shall
probabl be <are> likely to wait for a severer lesson, & beyond all
doubt, if we wait, we shall have it.
– Do you remember Elmsley at Oxford, – the fattest undergraduate in your time & mine. He
is at Naples superintending the unrolling the Herculaneum manuscripts by Davys
process, at the expence of the Prince Regent – I should say George IV. The intention is that
Elmsley shall ascertain as
soon as a beginning is made in one of the rolls, whether it shall be proceeded with,
or laid aside in hope of finding something better, till the whole have been
inspected.
You must have seen some exaggerated accounts of Artigas.
A deluge that should sweep these countries clean, would be a merciful visitation; – such is the character of their present inhabitants, & such the atrocity with which they carry on an internecine warfare.
A fashion of poetry has been imported which has had a great run,
& is in a fair way of being worn out. It is of Italian growth, – an adaptation of
the manner of Pulci, Berni, & Ariosto
My poems hang on hand.
My little
boy thrives at present; – but so well do I know the
uncertainty of an infants life – that I cannot without fear & hesitation enquire
concerning yours? I shall be in London in the months of April & May. Among other
matters of business this curious one awaits me there. A
suicide has left me his papers to xxx arrange &
publish, I never saw him but once. It is a dismal story, & I am not sure that I
shall be able to fulfil his desires without doing mischief, by sending abroad
opinions which no antidote can prevent from infecting minds predisposed to the
contagion receive the xxxxxxx morbid matter.