1964. Robert Southey to Thomas Southey, 11 October 1811 ⁠* 

My dear Tom,

I wish when Harry comes to Keswick you could contrive to send those gaiters of mine by him, which were left behind us at S^t Helens, inasmuch as the pantaloons to which they belong are destined for this winters wear, & without those gaiters I know not how my poor hormangorgs are to be kept warm. – This for a beginning as being matter of business. I will now tell you as matter of hepistolary communication that it would rejoice you to see how I am getting on my with my Dutch. I have attacked the two folios of Peter Kolbe, [1]  & as I can make it out with the dictionary so as to read on & get fairly at the contents, I expect to be a good Mynheer by the time I get to the end. It is a great & important step gained. Xx

Pelayo [2]  also is progressive, very much to my satisfaction. You will be impressed with the manner in which a widow is introduced among the ruins of Orense, – a sort of Judith who makes a vow of revenge. The poem will soon reach 1000 lines, & to attain to four figures is as great an epoch in the progress of a poem, as being breeched is in the life of a man.

We have had two good Lakers. M^r Lowe of Ludlow, [3]  a cidevant xxxx merchant at Middelburg in Walcherin. – Stuart sent him here, – he gave me a lesson in Dutch as to the pronunciation. Wakefield, a son of Priscilla Wakefield was the other. [4]  He has published a statistical account of Ireland [5]  – his letter was from Hogg the Ettrick Shepherd, who besides being a man of very considerable genius seems to have a right honest heart.

Poor Grahame! you give me the first news of his death. I fear straitened circumstances & disappointed hopes may have brought on this catastrophe. His understanding was not equal to his genius, & it required the sunshine of a brighter fortune than ever fell to his lot to counteract a natural melancholy, the constitutional mental disease of men whose feelings are stronger than their intellect. At Teddesley I read his poem on the Abolition of the Slave Trade, [6]  not without sorrow at finding how poor a thing it was, – almost utterly worthless. But his Sabbath [7]  will always remain, – & from all his other pieces, about a few rare passages may be culled which the best of us might have been proud to have written. It was but the other day that I was talking with Gooch about the living poets, little thinking that one to whom I assigned so honourable a place among them, was no longer of the number.

Gooch is very probably drinking tea with you at this time. One of or two books of yours were overlookd I perceive when that parcel was tied up, – some other opportunity will offer of conveying them. I have been busy upon the taking part in the controversy about Bell & the Dragon, as you will see in the Quarterly where I have fibbed the Edinburgh (as the Fancy say) most completely, showing it as little mercy as it deserves at my hands. [8]  For the next number I am going to write upon the Inquisition, – a subject upon which I have a great deal of curious matter to bring forth. [9] 

It will require as much interest to get a ship, as it did to get made Commander. I have no correspondence with Croker, – & if the thing can be done it must be thro the same channel as before, – Herries & Bedford, – upon the latter of whom by the bye you should have called that he might have shaken hands with you upon your promotion, – for it originated with him, & without him would not have been obtained.

Today I resumed the long-suspended Life of Nelson [10]  with which I shall hurry on, that Murray may not lose the spring sale. – Copy of the Omniana [11]  was sent off last week, & more is in hand, so that I shall carry that also thro the press in the course of the season. I suppose Kehama [12]  must be nearly ready. Longman wrote the other day to hurry Ballantyne, saying he had only two copies left. Ballantyne the bookseller is using me unhandsomely, a letter concerning money matters which I wrote to him immediately on my return, & which his father [13]  told me was directly forwarded to him in London, he has not thought proper to answer; – a conduct, which if the proper answer should not arrive & bring with it the proper apology, I shall certainly resent.

We shall see Harry of course before he leaves the North. I was most disappointed that Gooch could not stay with me longer. When we shall see you God knows – all I can say is here is room for you all whenever you can come – Ediths love with mine to Sarah & the young one. All well

God bless you

RS.

Oct. 11. 1811.