3859. Robert Southey to Henry Herbert Southey, 26 June 1822

 

Address: To/ Dr Southey/ 15. Queen Anne Street/ Cavendish Square/ London
Stamped: KESWICK/ 298
Postmark: E/ 29 JU 29/ 1822
MS: Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, MS. Don. d. 4. ALS; 4p.
Unpublished.

My dear Harry

Edith May will be much obliged to you if you will purchase for her, & to John May if he will take charge of, two articles which it will neither incommode you to buy, nor him to put in his trunk.

First a drawing book of coloured paper, – that sort of tint which is given by tobacco water:

(1)

A preparation made by boiling tobacco in water; it was a popular insecticide.

the size about 9 ½ inches long 6 ½ wide. Secondly a bottle of a certain preparation of lamp black

(2)

Carbon black, made from the incomplete burning of products such as coal tar. It was widely used as a black pigment.

or ivory black (I know not which) used for painting screens & such things & sold at Fielders No. 2 Greek Street, Soho.

(3)

Thomas Fielder (c. 1793–1854), maker of picture and looking glass frames.

She has excellent use of her fingers. If poor Nash had been living, it would have delighted him to see the extraordinary progress she has made.

I have had a letter of thanks from Edward. One has the painful feeling of not knowing how much is to be believed of what he says, & how much to be allowed for theatrical effect. What is the real state of his health?

I am nearly recovered, thank God, after an attack of an ugly nature. I have always apprehended that the violent catarrh which for the last twenty years has regularly seized me with the first warm weather would at last effect a lodgement in my chest, & this year for the first time it has given serious indication of such a tendency. After trying squills

(4)

A preparation known as squills, made from the squill, or sea onion, and used as an expectorant.

in vain, & ipecacuanha lozenges,

(5)

Ipecacuanha, extracted from a South American plant, was used as an emetic and purgative.

I have nearly removed it by paregoric, taking at the same time calomel & dandelion to counteract the effect which the smallest possible quantity of laudanum produces upon my liver.

(6)

Paregoric was a traditional pain relieving medicine, containing opium dissolved in alcohol, known as laudanum. Since this operated as a cough suppressant it would have given Southey relief from his hay fever. However, it also had a number of side-effects, including constipation, for which Southey took the purgative calomel and the laxative dandelion.

To day for the first time I have thought myself sufficiently free from any feverish symptom to venture upon wine.

Miss Wilbrahams marriage

(7)

Mary Laetitia Wilbraham (1799–1874), Tom Southey’s lodger. She married Joseph Harrison Fryer (1777–1855) of Whitley House, Northumberland. Fryer was a surveyor, geologist and mining engineer who spent part of each year at Keswick. At this time he was renting Ormathwaite, a large house about a mile and a quarter from Keswick.

took place last week. Her brother

(8)

Randle Wilbraham (1801–1887). Notably, Miss Wilbraham was not given away by her father, Randle Wilbraham (1773–1861), landowner, of Rode Hall, Cheshire.

came to give her away, & returned immediately. The history of the courtship, with the talk, & correspondence, & broils that it has occasioned, would make a volume, in which neither Tom nor his wife would appear to any advantage, – both having acted very intemperately, & very foolishly. He has the vice of tetchiness in a very great degree, & his wife in a greater, if that be possible. For me, I always bear in mind one of the first maxims which I teach my children. – The least that is said. Is the soonest mended.

I look shortly to hear from John May saying when we may expect to see him, – about Monday week I think.

(9)

John May and his son, John May (1802–1879), visited Southey at Keswick 5 August–2 September 1822.

Your visit I suppose will be in September, when London is emptiest. Tell me how you all are, for it seems a long while since I have heard of you.

God bless you
RS.

Keswick 26 June. 1822

Notes

1. A preparation made by boiling tobacco in water; it was a popular insecticide.[back]
2. Carbon black, made from the incomplete burning of products such as coal tar. It was widely used as a black pigment.[back]
3. Thomas Fielder (c. 1793–1854), maker of picture and looking glass frames.[back]
4. A preparation known as squills, made from the squill, or sea onion, and used as an expectorant.[back]
5. Ipecacuanha, extracted from a South American plant, was used as an emetic and purgative.[back]
6. Paregoric was a traditional pain relieving medicine, containing opium dissolved in alcohol, known as laudanum. Since this operated as a cough suppressant it would have given Southey relief from his hay fever. However, it also had a number of side-effects, including constipation, for which Southey took the purgative calomel and the laxative dandelion.[back]
7. Mary Laetitia Wilbraham (1799–1874), Tom Southey’s lodger. She married Joseph Harrison Fryer (1777–1855) of Whitley House, Northumberland. Fryer was a surveyor, geologist and mining engineer who spent part of each year at Keswick. At this time he was renting Ormathwaite, a large house about a mile and a quarter from Keswick.[back]
8. Randle Wilbraham (1801–1887). Notably, Miss Wilbraham was not given away by her father, Randle Wilbraham (1773–1861), landowner, of Rode Hall, Cheshire.[back]
9. John May and his son, John May (1802–1879), visited Southey at Keswick 5 August–2 September 1822.[back]
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