4092. Robert Southey to [John Taylor Coleridge], 24 November 1823

 

Endorsement: 1823/ Novr 24th/ R. Southey. – 2 Ann Street.
MS: British Library, Add MS 47553. ALS; 3p.
Previously published: W. Braekman, ‘Letters by Robert Southey to Sir John Taylor Coleridge’, Studia Germanica Gandensia, 6 (1964), 134.

Q Anne Street, Monday Morning
My dear Sir

I am much obliged to you for your communication, & shall very much like to see Bp. Dehons sermons & life, – with the hope of making good use of them.

(1)

Theodore Dehon (1776–1817), Sermons on the Public Means of Grace; the Fasts and Festivals of the Church; on Scripture Characters, and Various Practical Subjects … Together with Some Account of the Author, and a Sermon Preached on Occasion of his Death (1822). Dehon was Bishop of South Carolina 1812–1817. Southey may have been interested in seeing this book in case it proved useful for his review of Timothy Dwight (1752–1817), Travels in New-England and New-York (1821–1822), no. 881 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library, Quarterly Review, 30 (October 1823), 1–40, published 17 April 1824.

I should like also certainly to see the living Bishop

(2)

John Henry Hobart (1775–1830), Bishop of New York 1816–1830. He undertook a prolonged visit to Europe in 1823–1825 in an attempt to improve his health. Hobart later visited Southey in Keswick in August 1824.

any morning this week that you might fix for me.

Gifford I have seen since I saw you, but not Murray. I can plainly see what lurks in his mind respecting you, an apprehension that under your superintendance there would be no admittance in the QR. for papers in that temper which has so miserably disgraced it.

(3)

Gifford was considering retiring as editor of the Quarterly Review. When he did so, he was briefly succeeded by John Taylor Coleridge.

He says that Copplestone has recommended Senior,

(4)

Nassau William Senior (1790–1864; DNB), a lawyer and Drummond Professor of Political Economy at the University of Oxford 1825–1830, 1847–1852. He was a contributor to the Quarterly Review and many other journals.

a person whose name I never heard before, but Murray has a decided objection to him. Murray thinks of Haygarth,

(5)

William Haygarth (1784–1825), the poet, artist, traveller and contributor to the Quarterly Review. He was the son of the wealthy physician John Haygarth (1740–1827; DNB). Murray favoured Haygarth, as his views were mildly liberal, and he might be expected to give more room in the Quarterly Review to a variety of opinions.

– who is rich enough, to be careless. I shall endeavour to see the Bibliopole tomorrow, & see what can be done by telling him in what light a large portion of his present subscribers regard the Review.

I will ask soon for Miss Bowles, – & get you also a little poem of her from Sara’s Album, which is very original & touching.

Reginald Heber has left the third volume of my Brazil in the lurch.

(6)

Southey’s History of Brazil (1810–1819). Heber had reviewed the first two volumes in Quarterly Review, 4 (November 1810), 454–474, and Quarterly Review, 18 (October 1817), 99–128. However, the third volume was not reviewed in the Quarterly – possibly Heber was daunted by its 950 pages.

It is in the condition of those Christians who want a hearty shove – xxx & you would really serve me in a very £. s. d. way, if you could find time & inclination to perform Baxter’s part towards it.

(7)

In requesting that John Taylor Coleridge review the third volume of the History of Brazil (1810–1819) and so give its sales a much-needed lift, Southey used a favourite phrase; see Southey to William Taylor, 6 December 1802, The Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part Two, Letter 741. The phrase came from An Effectual Shove to the Heavy-Arse Christian (1768), wrongly attributed to Richard Baxter (1615–1691; DNB); the pamphlet’s author was the Welsh minister William Bunyan (fl. 1760s).

God bless you
RS.

I have set all to rights with Charles Lamb, & am going immediately after breakfast to shake hands with him, & reconcile him to himself.

(8)

Southey had commended Lamb’s Essays of Elia (1823) in Quarterly Review, 28 (January 1823), 524, published 8 July 1823, but commented that the book ‘wants only a sounder religious feeling, to be as delightful as it is original’. Lamb took offence and responded with ‘Letter of Elia to Robert Southey, Esquire’, London Magazine, 8 (October 1823), 400–407.

Notes

1. Theodore Dehon (1776–1817), Sermons on the Public Means of Grace; the Fasts and Festivals of the Church; on Scripture Characters, and Various Practical Subjects … Together with Some Account of the Author, and a Sermon Preached on Occasion of his Death (1822). Dehon was Bishop of South Carolina 1812–1817. Southey may have been interested in seeing this book in case it proved useful for his review of Timothy Dwight (1752–1817), Travels in New-England and New-York (1821–1822), no. 881 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library, Quarterly Review, 30 (October 1823), 1–40, published 17 April 1824.[back]
2. John Henry Hobart (1775–1830), Bishop of New York 1816–1830. He undertook a prolonged visit to Europe in 1823–1825 in an attempt to improve his health. Hobart later visited Southey in Keswick in August 1824.[back]
3. Gifford was considering retiring as editor of the Quarterly Review. When he did so, he was briefly succeeded by John Taylor Coleridge.[back]
4. Nassau William Senior (1790–1864; DNB), a lawyer and Drummond Professor of Political Economy at the University of Oxford 1825–1830, 1847–1852. He was a contributor to the Quarterly Review and many other journals.[back]
5. William Haygarth (1784–1825), the poet, artist, traveller and contributor to the Quarterly Review. He was the son of the wealthy physician John Haygarth (1740–1827; DNB). Murray favoured Haygarth, as his views were mildly liberal, and he might be expected to give more room in the Quarterly Review to a variety of opinions.[back]
6. Southey’s History of Brazil (1810–1819). Heber had reviewed the first two volumes in Quarterly Review, 4 (November 1810), 454–474, and Quarterly Review, 18 (October 1817), 99–128. However, the third volume was not reviewed in the Quarterly – possibly Heber was daunted by its 950 pages.[back]
7. In requesting that John Taylor Coleridge review the third volume of the History of Brazil (1810–1819) and so give its sales a much-needed lift, Southey used a favourite phrase; see Southey to William Taylor, 6 December 1802, The Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part Two, Letter 741. The phrase came from An Effectual Shove to the Heavy-Arse Christian (1768), wrongly attributed to Richard Baxter (1615–1691; DNB); the pamphlet’s author was the Welsh minister William Bunyan (fl. 1760s).[back]
8. Southey had commended Lamb’s Essays of Elia (1823) in Quarterly Review, 28 (January 1823), 524, published 8 July 1823, but commented that the book ‘wants only a sounder religious feeling, to be as delightful as it is original’. Lamb took offence and responded with ‘Letter of Elia to Robert Southey, Esquire’, London Magazine, 8 (October 1823), 400–407.[back]
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