1873. Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 23 February 1811
1873. Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 23 February 1811 *
My dear Grosvenor
Recepi. – [1]
Mrs C. I believe will forgive a certain offence at least equal in enormity to that of the punch-bowl, if you will get the inclosed letter of Hartley’s franked.
I dare say Gifford is in daily expectation of receiving my handy work. He will soon have it. The truth is I have received some very important assistance in this article. When you see it you will guess from what quarter, but I must request you not to speak your guesses. It is of statistic nature. – The article will be very long, – not longer however than the importance of the subject requires, – & I hope it will prove a stirring one. [2]
– I have invented a good name for the Grey [3] & Grenville party, – borrowed from the worthless objects of Negro-worship – the Gre-gres. – [4]
My head aches – or I would have taken a larger paper & thanked you for your letter more at length.
God bless you.
RS.
Feby 23. 1811.
Notes
* Address: To/ G. C. Bedford Esqr
Endorsement: 23 April 1811
MS: Bodleian Library, MS Eng. Lett. c. 24. ALS; 3p.
Unpublished. BACK
[2] John Rickman had provided Southey with information and briefing notes for his review of Sir Charles William Pasley (1780–1861; DNB), Essay on the Military Policy and Institutions of the British Empire (1810). The article was deemed by Gifford to be ‘perfectly incorrect and dangerous’ with the result that the version published in the Quarterly Review, 5 (May 1811), 403–457, was much altered by Croker, in consultation with Gifford and Murray; see Jonathan Cutmore, The Quarterly Review Archive. BACK
