3960. Robert Southey to Henry Herbert Southey, 28 January 1823

 

Address: To/ Dr Southey/ 15. Queen Anne Street/ Cavendish Square/ London
Stamped: KESWICK/ 298
Postmark: E/ 31 JA 31/ 1823
Seal: red wax; design illegible
MS: Keswick Museum and Art Gallery, 1996.5.129. ALS; 4p.
Unpublished.

Keswick 28 Jany. 1823
My Dear Harry

Sir J Crofts

(1)

Sir John Croft, 1st Baronet (1778–1862), a member of the Croft family of merchants and port producers, a man of science and a British spy during the French campaign in Spain in 1810. He was one of the organisers of the relief operation for Portuguese civilians funded by the British government in 1811 and received due praise at History of the Peninsular War, 3 vols (London, 1823–1832), III, pp. 189–193, which noted his ‘unwearied exertion’ (p. 193).

communications have reached me this day, & as they come without any note from himself, & I know not where to address, I must request you to let him know they are received, & to thank him for them, when you have an opportunity. – Sir J. called here once, but it was at a time when I was absent. – I shall have great pleasure in giving him the high credit which he deserves, & would apply to him for details of which he must have an abundant store, but he writes such an abominably fine style, that it is hopeless to look for any thing like specific information from him, beyond what from the nature of his employment he could not help giving. If he had kept a simple journal, or could give me his unvarnished recollections they would be worth a great deal both for his own name & my history

I learn from Gen. Trant

(2)

Brigadier-General Nicholas Trant (1769–1839; DNB), an Irish army officer who was assigned to command Portuguese forces. He served with distinction in many actions in the Peninsular War 1808–1813.

that a brother of your Minister Sarmiento

(3)

Cristóvão Pedro de Morais Sarmento, 1st Viscount of Torre de Moncorvo (1788–1851), a Portuguese diplomat. He served in the Portuguese Embassy in London for nearly forty years and was briefly chargé d’affaires in 1822. His brother, Alexandre Tomás de Morais Sarmento, 1st Viscount of Banho (1786–1840), was also a diplomat.

has written a journal of a campaign in which he was engaged on the Vouga in 1809,

(4)

Trant had raised a group of volunteers in Coimbra, including many from among the students at the university, to defend northern Portugal; they held the line of the Vouga river against French forces, History of the Peninsular War, 3 vols (London, 1823–1832), II, pp. 197–202.

while Soult

(5)

Jean-de-Dieu Soult (1769–1851), the French Marshal who commanded the invasion of northern Portugal in 1809.

was at Porto. Can you not let Sarmiento know that I am very desirous of seeing this journal, & that it would be for the honour & glory of Portugal, & of the parties concerned – (he himself is one) – that it should be communicated to me. Trant is to send me a narrative of it, – but two accounts are better than one.

Murray has not written a line to me since the volume was published.

(6)

The first volume of Southey’s History of the Peninsular War (1823–1832).

I have had a very handsome letter of thanks from Lord Bathurst,

(7)

Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst (1762–1834; DNB), Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1812–1827.

& Rickman sent me a letter concerning it from Lord Colchester, which may be looked upon as a strangers opinion. A more favourable one no author could have desired

I am getting on well with the second volume, – tho Heaven knows when Murray will get Oliveiras book for me,

(8)

Southey had read John Mitford’s ‘On Spanish Literature, with some Account of Francisco de Olivarez’, New Monthly Magazine, 10 (October 1818), 221–223. It mentioned Olivarez’s Account of the War in Catalonia (1815) in four volumes, published at Seville, 1815; Anecdotes of Chiefs Employed in the Catalan War (1816); and Memoirs of the Spanish Monarchy to the Abdication of Charles 4 & the Usurpation of Joseph Bonaparte (1816). However, none of these works seem to exist. Southey had already asked Murray to try and acquire them; see Southey to John Murray: 10 July 1820, The Collected Letters of Robe…

without which I will not send it to the press. – It is strange that the Portugueze should have published nothing concerning the war, subsequent to the Convention of Cintra,

(9)

The Convention of Cintra, signed 30 August 1808, allowed the defeated French Army to be evacuated from Portugal.

– except what is to be found in the Correio Braz. & the Investigador Port.

(10)

Correio Braziliense (1808–1822), no. 3203 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library, and O Investigador Portuguez em Inglaterra (1811–1819), no. 3409 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library, were Portuguese journals produced in London.

The most interesting account of Massenas

(11)

André Massena (1758–1817) commanded the invasion of Portugal in 1810–1811.

campaign which I have met with is in German, printed at Stuttgart, – written by a surgeon in his army.

(12)

Der Feldzug von Portugall, in den Jahren 1811 and 1812, in Historischer und Medizinischer-Hinsicht Beschrieben, von einem Artze der Franzosischen Armee von Portugall (1816). Southey had purchased this book on his Continental tour in 1817.

I found it at Zurich, & am just German enough to make it out.

During the last fortnight I have been able to take very little exercise, the ground having been covered with snow, & the walking so slippery, that a fall made me careful of keeping my bones whole. The thaw began last night, & it is now raining hard.

Herries is the fittest possible person for the situation in which he is now placed. His appointment & Arbuthnots

(13)

Charles Arbuthnot (1767–1850; DNB), Joint Secretary to the Treasury 1809–1823.

removal are two good things. Government has a plan under consideration for easing the poor rates by promoting the emigration of the poor: – the means by advancing money to the parishes, to be repaid with interest from the poor rates which by this operation, as far as the scheme should be acted on, would be reduced nearly four parts in five.

(14)

Parliament had voted £30,000 in 1822 to finance the settlement of poor Irish families in Upper Canada. Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton (1784–1841; DNB), Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1821–1828, was eager to extend this idea and produced ‘An Outline of a Plan of Emigration to Upper Canada’ in January 1823. He proposed that parishes all over the United Kingdom should be able to mortgage their poor rates in order to repay loans from the government, which would finance sending the parishes’ paupers to Canada. Each family would receive 100 acres of land.

The scheme is from the Colonial Office, & Wynn has sent me the papers.

You & your wheels I hope go on well. – Our love to Louisa & Mrs Gonne – & the young ones.

God bless you
RS

Notes

1. Sir John Croft, 1st Baronet (1778–1862), a member of the Croft family of merchants and port producers, a man of science and a British spy during the French campaign in Spain in 1810. He was one of the organisers of the relief operation for Portuguese civilians funded by the British government in 1811 and received due praise at History of the Peninsular War, 3 vols (London, 1823–1832), III, pp. 189–193, which noted his ‘unwearied exertion’ (p. 193).[back]
2. Brigadier-General Nicholas Trant (1769–1839; DNB), an Irish army officer who was assigned to command Portuguese forces. He served with distinction in many actions in the Peninsular War 1808–1813.[back]
3. Cristóvão Pedro de Morais Sarmento, 1st Viscount of Torre de Moncorvo (1788–1851), a Portuguese diplomat. He served in the Portuguese Embassy in London for nearly forty years and was briefly chargé d’affaires in 1822. His brother, Alexandre Tomás de Morais Sarmento, 1st Viscount of Banho (1786–1840), was also a diplomat. [back]
4. Trant had raised a group of volunteers in Coimbra, including many from among the students at the university, to defend northern Portugal; they held the line of the Vouga river against French forces, History of the Peninsular War, 3 vols (London, 1823–1832), II, pp. 197–202.[back]
5. Jean-de-Dieu Soult (1769–1851), the French Marshal who commanded the invasion of northern Portugal in 1809.[back]
6. The first volume of Southey’s History of the Peninsular War (1823–1832).[back]
7. Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst (1762–1834; DNB), Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1812–1827.[back]
8. Southey had read John Mitford’s ‘On Spanish Literature, with some Account of Francisco de Olivarez’, New Monthly Magazine, 10 (October 1818), 221–223. It mentioned Olivarez’s Account of the War in Catalonia (1815) in four volumes, published at Seville, 1815; Anecdotes of Chiefs Employed in the Catalan War (1816); and Memoirs of the Spanish Monarchy to the Abdication of Charles 4 & the Usurpation of Joseph Bonaparte (1816). However, none of these works seem to exist. Southey had already asked Murray to try and acquire them; see Southey to John Murray: 10 July 1820, The Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part Six, Letter 3509; 27 February 1821, The Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part Six, Letter 3641; 11 June 1821, The Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part Six, Letter 3693; and 27 July 1822, Letter 3877; and 1 November [1822], Letter 3911.[back]
9. The Convention of Cintra, signed 30 August 1808, allowed the defeated French Army to be evacuated from Portugal.[back]
10. Correio Braziliense (1808–1822), no. 3203 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library, and O Investigador Portuguez em Inglaterra (1811–1819), no. 3409 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library, were Portuguese journals produced in London.[back]
11. André Massena (1758–1817) commanded the invasion of Portugal in 1810–1811.[back]
12. Der Feldzug von Portugall, in den Jahren 1811 and 1812, in Historischer und Medizinischer-Hinsicht Beschrieben, von einem Artze der Franzosischen Armee von Portugall (1816). Southey had purchased this book on his Continental tour in 1817.[back]
13. Charles Arbuthnot (1767–1850; DNB), Joint Secretary to the Treasury 1809–1823.[back]
14. Parliament had voted £30,000 in 1822 to finance the settlement of poor Irish families in Upper Canada. Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton (1784–1841; DNB), Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1821–1828, was eager to extend this idea and produced ‘An Outline of a Plan of Emigration to Upper Canada’ in January 1823. He proposed that parishes all over the United Kingdom should be able to mortgage their poor rates in order to repay loans from the government, which would finance sending the parishes’ paupers to Canada. Each family would receive 100 acres of land.[back]
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