1504. Robert Southey to Thomas Southey, 9 September 1808 ⁠* 

Sept. 9. Keswick.

My dear Tom

The Cid has been detained some weeks longer than I expected by Frere. [1]  the proofs take a long circuit to reach him thro official franks, he is slow in returning them, & he sees revises as they are called – i.e. second proofs. However I look daily to see it advertised, & Longman has directions what to pack up with your copy, as soon as the publication takes place.

I spent a week tooth & nail at my old letters, [2]  cutting & slashing at a great rate & inserting more than was omitted, by rummaging my original journals, & hunting out just so much antiquarian & historical matter as was pertinent among my books. The Life of D Luisa [3]  also is inserted at the end of the first volume. It will now be a respectable book, having thus been weeded; the two volumes are in two printers hands & will soon be compleated. Dispatch was one reason for dividing it, & another was the wish to have all my operas the same size. Just at this time it is very likely to have a sale, & by & by my later Letters will help xxx it off by occasionally referring to it. [4] 

By this evenings Courier I perceive that we had a severe earthquake here just a fortnight ago. [5]  All I can say about it is that we never heard of it before. Not that an earthquake would surprize me. Whatever makes our bottom winds & send up these Islands, is unquestionably equal to produce an earthquake, if it only take place upon a larger scale. Good part of the Island has now sunk, & another one has risen nearer the shore with a canal almost thro it. Humphrey Senhouse came over last week to see it, & a thorough wetting I had in rowing him back. He bought with him a Miss French, a very nice girl, whose brother has lately published a volume of poems. [6]  They staid two nights with us. Miss Wood [7]  comes tomorrow by the coach, something has been said about our returning with her, but whether we shall do this or not, I do not know.

Coleridge is arrived at last, about half as big as the house. He came over with Wordsworth on Monday, & returned with him on Wednesday. His present scheme is to put the boys [8]  to school at Ambleside, & reside at Grasmere himself. Some good is likely to result from his coming, for Wordsworth declares that if he does not write an Essay upon the pleasure produced by bad poetry, he will do it himself. [9]  You have heard him talk upon the subject; – whoever does this the effect will be to flea Mrs Barbauld alive, & take full & ample vengeance upon all such offenders.

King Arthur is deposed for misconduct in unnecessarily delaying the review: & it is well for him he is, as otherwise I should have made a desperate home thrust at him, for having had the impudence to omit the reviewal of Wordsworths poem, [10]  which he received from me, & inserting an Aikinish one in its stead. But as he has been already cashiered I shall resent this in no other way, than by dropping all correspondence with the said King Arthur & his whole generation.

I am writing in great haste to secure the post. the Wolseleys [11]  & the Brownes [12]  are coming to tea. Two days ago I dined at Calverts with the M^r George Taylor whom xx we met last year at Speddings. Spedding has just got a new boat, which is named the Spanish Patriot. Now had you been here we would have explored Basthenthwaite thoroughly.

The papers say that some of our large ships are to be paid off forthwith as being no longer wanted. In that case I should think by your account of the Dreadnought [13]  that she stands a fair chance of being laid up. The worst thing would be that you would probably be turned over to some dirty small craft such as it seems we want to meet the Danish Danes with this is what is proposed. On the other hand it hardly seems likely that you would be treated with so little respect.

Kehama gets often interrupted by late hours, or disturbed nights, or much exercise in the preceding day. [14]  Arvalan is now driving the dragons, the car is fastened to their yokes thus [diagram] the circles being the yokes, & the seat fastened on the upper arch so he drives, & long before this reaches you he will be at the N. Pole. [15] 

Emma has acquired the name of Old Scratch, by reason of her sharp nails. My son rides Pocko whenever he can catch me, & will not be persuaded that Pocko can be tired. Both he & Edaw as he calls her are equipped this evening in dark brown stuff gowns trimmed with red – which M^rs Wolseley has made them.

Huzza for Spain. How compleatly have our hopes been justified! It is my firm opinion that Bonaparte has received his death blow. Very probably another year may bring about peace after the extirpation of his royal race.

God bless you

RS.