4287. Robert Southey to Edith May Southey, 5 December 1824

 

MS: Private collection. ALS; 4p. 
Unpublished.

Keswick 5. Dec. 1824.
My dear E May

I write rather because there is a frank going off this evening, than for any better reason. However I have two things to say, – one is that I wish the Doctor would order for me two pairs of strong shoes, which may come in your box (N.B. take care this box be a little better corded than the last the corder whereof ought to have been sent to the Treading Mill.

(1)

A form of hard labour used in British prisons since 1818. By continuously stepping onto a series of revolving ledges, prisoners turned a shaft that could be used to power machinery.

) – Secondly I advise you & every body else who can do it, to hear Mr Benson preach, at St Giles’s.

(2)

Benson was Rector of St Giles-in-the-Fields Church 1824–1826. He was appointed in May 1824 and his reputation as a preacher grew quickly. Southey had heard him preach in Cambridge in 1820; see Southey to Katherine Southey, 28 May 1820, Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part Six, Letter 3487.

He is so far the best preacher I ever heard that as to admit of no comparison with any other.

Wordsworth is coming over tomorrow. I have not seen him since my own return from the South.

You will probably in the course of the week see a sweet billet of mine in the Newspapers noticing a few lies of Lord Byrons as published by his Blunderbuss Capt Medwin.

(3)

Southey to the Editor of the Courier, 8 December 1824, Letter 4289, published 13 December 1824. This was a reply to material on Southey in Thomas Medwin (1788–1869; DNB), Journal of the Conversations of Lord Byron: Noted During a Residence with his Lordship at Pisa, in the Years 1821 and 1822 (1824). Speaking of David Mallet’s (c. 1705–1765; DNB), edition of the Works (1754) of Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678–1751; DNB), Samuel Johnson (1709–1784; DNB) declared of Bolingbroke that ‘he was a scoundrel, and a coward: a scoundrel for charging a blunderbuss against religion and moral…

I shall just say what is needful, & no more.

I have accepted a letter of Pope’s

(4)

Alexander Pope (1688–1744; DNB); see Southey to Caroline Bowles, 26 November 1824, Letter 4285.

for the sake of transferring it to you. The handwriting is so like Miss Tylers that I could have taken it for hers.

The third canto of the T of Paraguay

(5)

Southey’s A Tale of Paraguay (1825).

is finished. And as I never so heartily desired to be at the end of any other composition whether in prose or in verse I shall not be long in getting thro the remaining one.

Yesterday I received Dr Wordsworths book

(6)

Eikon Basilike, The Portraicture of His Sacred Majestie in His Solitudes and Sufferings (1649), no. 987 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library, purported to be the work of Charles I (1600–1649; King of Great Britain 1625–1649; DNB). Christopher Wordsworth, Εἰκὼν Βασιλική Considered and Answered in Two Letters addressed to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury (1824) aimed to support the idea that Charles I was the actual author – not a conclusion endorsed by modern scholars. The book was no. 3042 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.

what has for ever put the question to rest. It is impossible for any investigation to be more compleat, – or more conclusive. – I have written in it as a motto, Latimer’s saying “Well; there is nothing hid but it shall be opened.”

(7)

John Watkins (d. c. 1831; DNB), The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, and Constant Martyr of Jesus Christ, Hugh Latimer, Some Time Bishop of Worcester, 2 vols (London, 1824), I, p. cliv. Hugh Latimer (c. 1487–1555; DNB), Bishop of Worcester 1535–1539 and Protestant martyr, was a favourite writer of Southey’s.

And now when I have told you that it is snorting weather, & that I am about to write a paper for the QR. upon the Church Missionary Society,

(8)

Southey’s article in Quarterly Review, 32 (June 1825), 1–42, on missionary societies was (ostensibly) a review of An Abstract of the Annual Reports and Correspondence of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, from the Commencement of its Connexion with the East India Missions, A. D. 1709, to the Present Day (1814); and of the Church Missionary Society’s (founded 1799) Church Missionary Register (1813–1824). The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (founded 1698) is also an Anglican missionary organisation.

– <I have no more to say> farther than to send as much love & as many kind remembrances as can be inclosed in a frank, to be distributed at your discretion, & to assure you that I remain

Dear Madam
with the profoundest respect
your most obedient humble servant
Robert Southey.

Your Mother my Governess means to write shortly about chains & I know not what.

Notes

1. A form of hard labour used in British prisons since 1818. By continuously stepping onto a series of revolving ledges, prisoners turned a shaft that could be used to power machinery.[back]
2. Benson was Rector of St Giles-in-the-Fields Church 1824–1826. He was appointed in May 1824 and his reputation as a preacher grew quickly. Southey had heard him preach in Cambridge in 1820; see Southey to Katherine Southey, 28 May 1820, Collected Letters of Robert Southey. Part Six, Letter 3487.[back]
3. Southey to the Editor of the Courier, 8 December 1824, Letter 4289, published 13 December 1824. This was a reply to material on Southey in Thomas Medwin (1788–1869; DNB), Journal of the Conversations of Lord Byron: Noted During a Residence with his Lordship at Pisa, in the Years 1821 and 1822 (1824). Speaking of David Mallet’s (c. 1705–1765; DNB), edition of the Works (1754) of Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678–1751; DNB), Samuel Johnson (1709–1784; DNB) declared of Bolingbroke that ‘he was a scoundrel, and a coward: a scoundrel for charging a blunderbuss against religion and morality; a coward because he had not the resolution to fire it off himself, but left half a crown to a beggarly Scotchman, to draw the trigger after his death!’ (James Boswell (1740–1795; DNB), Life of Samuel Johnson, 3rd edn (London, 1799), p. 312). Southey transferred this description of Mallet to Medwin.[back]
4. Alexander Pope (1688–1744; DNB); see Southey to Caroline Bowles, 26 November 1824, Letter 4285.[back]
5. Southey’s A Tale of Paraguay (1825).[back]
6. Eikon Basilike, The Portraicture of His Sacred Majestie in His Solitudes and Sufferings (1649), no. 987 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library, purported to be the work of Charles I (1600–1649; King of Great Britain 1625–1649; DNB). Christopher Wordsworth, Εἰκὼν Βασιλική Considered and Answered in Two Letters addressed to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury (1824) aimed to support the idea that Charles I was the actual author – not a conclusion endorsed by modern scholars. The book was no. 3042 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.[back]
7. John Watkins (d. c. 1831; DNB), The Sermons of the Right Reverend Father in God, and Constant Martyr of Jesus Christ, Hugh Latimer, Some Time Bishop of Worcester, 2 vols (London, 1824), I, p. cliv. Hugh Latimer (c. 1487–1555; DNB), Bishop of Worcester 1535–1539 and Protestant martyr, was a favourite writer of Southey’s.[back]
8. Southey’s article in Quarterly Review, 32 (June 1825), 1–42, on missionary societies was (ostensibly) a review of An Abstract of the Annual Reports and Correspondence of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, from the Commencement of its Connexion with the East India Missions, A. D. 1709, to the Present Day (1814); and of the Church Missionary Society’s (founded 1799) Church Missionary Register (1813–1824). The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (founded 1698) is also an Anglican missionary organisation.[back]
TEI Link
TEI
Volume Editor(s)
Lynda Pratt
Ian Packer