Address: To/ John Murray Esqre
Endorsement: R Southey Esq/ May 11/23 –
MS: National Library of Scotland, MS 42552. ALS; 3p.
Unpublished.
Thank you for sending to Madrid,
(1)
Southey had read John Mitford’s ‘On Spanish Literature, with some Account of Francisco de Olivarez’, New Monthly Magazine, 10 (October 1818), 221–223. It mentioned Olivarez’s Account of the War in Catalonia (1815) in four volumes, published at Seville, 1815; Anecdotes of Chiefs Employed in the Catalan War (1816); and Memoirs of the Spanish Monarchy to the Abdication of Charles 4 & the Usurpation of Joseph Bonaparte (1816). However, none of these works seem to exist. Southey had already asked Murray to try and acquire them; see Southey to John Murray: 10 July 1820, The Collected Letters of Robe…
– if my poor Spanish friend had been living, I should regularly have received the books which would be useful to me, thro the Ambassador.
(2)
William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury (1779–1860; DNB), Ambassador to Spain 1822–1824, Portugal 1824–1827, Russia 1828–1832.
They used to come in the dispatches, – I have lately obtained some valuable documents from Sir Nicholas Trant.
(3)
Sir Nicholas Trant (1769–1839; DNB), an Irish soldier and commander of Portuguese troops 1809–1813.
If you can get the old edition of Strypes Annals,
(4)
John Strype (1643–1737; DNB), Annals of the Reformation and Establishment of Religion (1709). Oxford University Press published a new edition in 1824, no. 2753 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. Southey wanted this for his The Book of the Church (1824).
pray let me have them, – They may be returned in a week, – for by the time they can arrive, I shall be ready to make immediate use of them. And it would be mortifying if there should appear any deficiency of information in any part of a book for which I have been so long preparing, & with which I have taken so much pains. – We are now getting on rapidly, – & if I do not deceive myself, the book will bids fair to attract readers, & to impress them. More interesting materials no subject could afford.
With regard to Lingard my intention is to review his history & Turners together in a series of papers,
(5)
John Lingard (1771–1851; DNB), The History of England, from the First Invasion of the Romans, 5 vols (1819–1823). Southey only possessed the first three volumes of this, published in 1819, no. 1634 in the sale catalogue of his library; and Sharon Turner, History of England (1814–1823), no. 2838 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. Neither book was reviewed in the Quarterly Review at this time.
– adding as they occur other titles in the headings, – & perhaps this series of essays on English history – with proper alterations may form other such another work as this Book of the Church.
(6)
Southey did not write this projected work.
Believe me
yours very truly
Robert Southey.
