4070. Robert Southey to John Taylor, 20 October 1823

 

Address: To/ John Taylor Esqre/ at Mrs Taylors/ Market-Place/ Retford/ Proof Sheet inclosed
Stamped: KESWICK/ 298
Seal: red wax; arm raising aloft cross of Lorraine
MS: Beinecke Library, Osborn MSS File ‘S’, Folder 14180. ALS; 2p.
Unpublished. 
Note on MS: The enclosure has not survived with the letter.

Keswick. Oct. 20. 1823
Dear Sir

Mr Landor himself will feel not only that the merit of this Dialogue but that the weight of the remarks which it contains would be very much diminished by suffering the statement of his own grievances to stand.

(1)

Dialogue V of Landor’s Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, 2 vols (London, 1824), II, pp. 67–92, between General Luis Roberto de Lacy (1772–1817), Spanish General, and the ‘Curate Merino’. This passage (p. 81) was omitted.

I have struck out also two lines in the Inscription upon Ferdinand,

(2)

There was no Inscription on Ferdinand VII (1784–1833; King of Spain 1808, 1813–1833) in the published work. The poem was finally published as ‘Fernandus’ in Landor’s Poemata et Inscriptiones (London, 1847), p. 235; it accused Ferdinand of murdering his first two wives, Maria Antonia of Naples (1784–1806) and Maria Isabel of Portugal (1797–1818).

the first unwillingly, but it goes because the second charges him with a crime of which most certainly he is innocent; & such a charge even tho conveyed in Latin might expose the book to prosecution, if the Spanish Embassador

(3)

Francisco de Paula de Cea Bermudez y Buzo (1779–1850), a Spanish politician and diplomat and Ambassador to the United Kingdom 1823–1824. He was later Prime Minister of Spain, 1824–1825 and 1832–1834.

should notice it, as it would be his duty to do.

I have taken the liberty of introducing to you by letter a young namesake of yours who is seeking literary employment, & whose for whose father I have a very high respect & regard. His talents are very much above par, but the only advantage which can or ought to be asked from such an introduction is that the papers which he may offer for admission in your Magazine,

(4)

The London Magazine (1821–1829), published by Taylor.

may be considered as worthy of examination. I think, as well as hope that you may find him a valuable contributor.

In case you should have occasion to refer to me again concerning these Dialogues, it may be convenient to know that I shall leave home on Monday Nov. 3. & expect to be in London about the 15th. After which time my direction will be 15 Q Anne Street Cavendish Square.

I remain Sir
Yrs obediently
Robert Southey

Notes

1. Dialogue V of Landor’s Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen, 2 vols (London, 1824), II, pp. 67–92, between General Luis Roberto de Lacy (1772–1817), Spanish General, and the ‘Curate Merino’. This passage (p. 81) was omitted.[back]
2. There was no Inscription on Ferdinand VII (1784–1833; King of Spain 1808, 1813–1833) in the published work. The poem was finally published as ‘Fernandus’ in Landor’s Poemata et Inscriptiones (London, 1847), p. 235; it accused Ferdinand of murdering his first two wives, Maria Antonia of Naples (1784–1806) and Maria Isabel of Portugal (1797–1818).[back]
3. Francisco de Paula de Cea Bermudez y Buzo (1779–1850), a Spanish politician and diplomat and Ambassador to the United Kingdom 1823–1824. He was later Prime Minister of Spain, 1824–1825 and 1832–1834.[back]
4. The London Magazine (1821–1829), published by Taylor.[back]
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