4024. Robert Southey to John Abraham Heraud, 1 June 1823
Address: To/ Mr J. A. Heraud Junr/ Carey Street/ Lincolns Inn
Stamped: [illegible]
Postmark: [illegible]
MS: The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations. ALS; 4p.
Previously published: Kenneth Curry (ed.), New Letters of Robert Southey, 2 vols (London and New York, 1965), II, pp. 246–247.
You would certainly have seen me had I been in London, & you will see me there God willing before the summer is over.
I wish there were not the necessity for doing something to increase your income, which your letter too surely shows there is. My recommendations of your Nero
can be of no avail. The question that a bookseller will ask is not whether it be a work of merit, but whether it is likely to sell. Without this assurance the praise which I should bestow – to wit – that it is a work of great power & promise, would not suffice: nor indeed with it, unless the bookseller himself saw reason to expect a remunerating sale. You can do no harm by offering it to a publisher, – but I am afraid you will not find one who will take upon himself the risque of publication, – much less advance any thing for the copyright. Nor am I sure that eventually it would be serviceable to you to have it before the world. With all its merit it is a juvenile performance; & you have already given proof of poetical genius.
I am glad to hear of your lecturing, because it leads you to prose composition; & it by writing for magazines that you may with most facility help out your ways & means. But your great object with this view should be to get a piece upon the stage, something of the mixed drama rather than tragedy, of an attractive, romantic character, – designed to please, xxx rather than to affect too deeply. Construct the plan first if you succeed in that, you have little or nothing to learn in execution.
The Deluge
is not a subject upon which you can derive any aid from books. The Bible is the sole history of that early age of the world, & every thing relating to manners must be matter of invention, not research. What the circumstances of the world then were it is impossible to know: your business therefore is to describe them such as they may with some appearance of reason be supposed to have been. There is a German poem upon the subject, in hexameters, by Bodmer;
– of which a bad translation in prose inflated prose was published some fifty years ago.
I must not omit to notice what you say xxx concerning dedicating your Nero. If the play be published (which I think is not likely) there is no man of letters who would not be gratified by such a compliment. I would recommend you therefore to address it to Sir W. Scott, – a most kind hearted man. His good wishes & good word might be worth something to you: – mine you have, & unluckily they can be of little value.
You have taken a bold step in marrying.
I will not call it an imprudent one, because it will not be so if you can depend <upon> yourselves for strict frugality & good management. Without these necessary virtues you will have every thing to fear; with them you may have every thing to hope. – God bless you! I shall look for you as soon as I arrive in town, which will probably be in the course of next month –
farewell, & believe me
yrs faithfully
Robert Southey.
