3995. Robert Southey to John Rickman, 6 April 1823
Endorsement: RS to JR April 6/ 1823
MS: Huntington Library, RS 433. ALS; 4p.
Unpublished.
Thank you for your letter, – & for your wish to serve my brother in his views of emigration.
If his credentials from the colonial office arrive in time, he will sail in the course of this week, to take possession of his allotment, & see what will be necessary before he removes his family thither, this time twelvemonths hence. Wynn has spoken for him to Mr. Wilmot,
– & “every facility’ is promised accordingly. I am well aware that official phrases of this kind mean less than they are sometimes supposed to convey; & perhaps that all that can be done in the regular course of things will be to give him useful letters of introduction – in addition to his grant – which seems to be a thing of course. – I do not see how you can serve him, but if you can, I shall be glad & thankful. But I shall not mention the subject to him, having like you, an unwillingness ever to excite expectations which it may not be possible to fulfil.
It is a business which presses heavily upon me, – but I am quite satisfied that is the only reasonable course he can pursue. And to such a course I could very well make up my own mind, if I were not in the very situation wherein I can be employed most advantageously.
I have been so closely employed in getting on with what is necessary for my ways & means before I leave home, – that I have not had time to pursue the transcript of my Journal.
I must however soon do so, if it were merely to divert my mind from too long attention to one subject, – which experience has made me fear.
Gifford I am told means to die in harness, – which is a great evil for the QR. I have not heard from him since his illness, – indeed Bedford tells me he is confined to his room, if not to his bed. And this accounts for his not answering a question which I asked him a fortnight ago, whether he wished to have a paper from me upon the affairs of Sp. & P.
I shall not be able to start before next month.
The increased speed of the mail will save one night upon the road, – which however as far as my personal comfort is concerned is not worth the expense in horse-flesh.
God bless you
RS.
Apr. 6. 1823.
