3999. Robert Southey to William Peachy, [14 April 1823]

 

Address: To/ Major General Peachy
MS: British Library, Add MS 28603. ALS; 3p.
Unpublished.
Dating note: Dating from content. Tom Southey left to sail to Canada early on 13 April, the day before this letter was written.

My dear Sir

I am very sorry to hear Mrs Hall

(1)

Unidentified.

is indisposed, – which is the more vexatious, as this would have been so fine a day for beginning your migration.

Catcotts book

(2)

Alexander Catcott (1725–1779; DNB), A Treatise on the Deluge (1768).

cannot be of much value; I believe it proceeds upon geological arguments, which science was very little un cultivated in his time (if it be well understood now) – his brother George I knew & tried to get information from him respecting Chatterton,

(3)

George Symes Catcott (1729–1802), the Bristol pewterer and patron of Thomas Chatterton (1752–1770; DNB). Southey had written to Catcott to obtain information for his and Joseph Cottle’s edition The Works of Thomas Chatterton (1803); see Southey to Joseph Cottle, [c. 21 August 1802], The Collected Letters of Robert Southey, Part Two, Letter 708.

but I remember that I used to compare the attempting at eliciting any thing like common sense from poor Catcott to that of trying to strike fire with a wooden mallet from a lump of lead. – Townsend of Pewsey has written a book of some good repute with the view as thus concerning which you enquire, – its title I believe is ‘the character of Moses as an historian vindicated.

(4)

Joseph Townsend (1739–1816; DNB), The Character of Moses as an Historian, Recording Events from the Creation to the Deluge (1813), a robust defence of the accuracy of the biblical account of history. It is possible that Peachy’s enquiries were motivated by the appearance of William Buckland (1784–1856; DNB), Reliquiæ Diluvianæ, or, Observations on the Organic Remains attesting the Action of a Universal Deluge (1823), which argued that the Earth was much older than a literal interpretation of the account in Genesis suggested.

Fouche’s letter

(5)

Joseph Fouché (1759–1820), Lettre au Duc de Wellington (1817). Fouché was an old Jacobin who had later served the Napoleonic regime as Minister of Police 1799–1810.

appeared in the newspapers, & I think if it had been worth remembering I should not have so totally forgotten it.

My brother rode off yesterday at break of day, & desired me to say how sorry he was that the weather had prevented him from paying his respects at the Island.

I shall be glad to hear of your safe arrival, & should you pass the month of April at Bath, I will endeavour to arrange my plans as to see you there.

God bless you, my dear Sir
Yrs very truly
Robert Southey.

Monday morning.

Notes

1. Unidentified.[back]
2. Alexander Catcott (1725–1779; DNB), A Treatise on the Deluge (1768).[back]
3. George Symes Catcott (1729–1802), the Bristol pewterer and patron of Thomas Chatterton (1752–1770; DNB). Southey had written to Catcott to obtain information for his and Joseph Cottle’s edition The Works of Thomas Chatterton (1803); see Southey to Joseph Cottle, [c. 21 August 1802], The Collected Letters of Robert Southey, Part Two, Letter 708.[back]
4. Joseph Townsend (1739–1816; DNB), The Character of Moses as an Historian, Recording Events from the Creation to the Deluge (1813), a robust defence of the accuracy of the biblical account of history. It is possible that Peachy’s enquiries were motivated by the appearance of William Buckland (1784–1856; DNB), Reliquiæ Diluvianæ, or, Observations on the Organic Remains attesting the Action of a Universal Deluge (1823), which argued that the Earth was much older than a literal interpretation of the account in Genesis suggested.[back]
5. Joseph Fouché (1759–1820), Lettre au Duc de Wellington (1817). Fouché was an old Jacobin who had later served the Napoleonic regime as Minister of Police 1799–1810.[back]
TEI Link
TEI
Volume Editor(s)
Lynda Pratt
Ian Packer