1775. Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn [fragment], [c. 2 May 1810] ⁠* 

My dear Wynn

I begin to have the same sort of feeling about the Installation verses [1]  that you may perhaps remember to have experienced at seven o clock on a Monday morning when Bible exercise was not begun – & what is worse the way to begin it had not yet been hit upon. – However I am going to Durham on Monday for three weeks holydays, – & who knows but they may be accomplished as a holydays task. – By Monday I expect to compleat the Register, [2]  – & also to send off the whole of the notes for Kehama, [3]  – thus clearing my hands of two long & weighty jobs, – tho it is only to begin others. – for Ballantyne will be calling on me for his next volume [4]  as soon as this is out of his press. – & Gifford & Murray are pressing me for the Quarterly with flattery & civility, & payment beyond any thing I ever dreamt of receiving. – I have promised Murray a life of Nelson – in a five shilling volume, – to be the young sailors manual. [5]  And here are my own great works of history [6]  to go on with – Judge you how full my hands are. I am thank God getting up hill & may expect in the course of two years to right myself in Longmans books, & xxxx xx make my income exceed my expenditure – till now my it has fallen short, & that God knows neither for want of oeconomy nor labour. But I have never been discouraged nor ever deprest, for being always confident that sooner or later xxxxxxx xxxxxx some future exertion would bring in payment & interest for the part.

Mak[MS missing] Carysfort. It will be a great pleasure to me to renew [MS missing]quaintance with Guendolen & Polyxena. [7]  Send them to [MS missing]hich has not been sent you as it [MS missing]ol at the same time.

This afford[MS missing] shows such an insolent contempt of [MS missing] turning downright Burd[MS missing] will in many part [remainder of MS missing]