4049. Robert Southey to John Bicknell, 26 July 1823

 

Address: To/ John Bicknell Esqre/ Greenwich/ Kent
MS: Wordsworth Trust, 1999.34.2. ALS; 3p.
Unpublished.


Sir

Yesterday I received your tragedy,

(1)

The Hour of Trial; a Tragedy (1824). A presentation copy was no. 286 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.

& the obliging note which accompanied it. A compliment such as you are pleased to pay me, cannot but be gratifying to any one.

The Managers must be supposed to be the best judges of what will please an audience. But for myself, I should have thought many parts of the play well calculated for representation.

How shall I return your Manuscript? Shall I entrust it to the Coach with no other direction than that of this letter? – I am afraid to do so, & think you had better give me a more spe particular address, – or inform me where it may be left in London.

Present my remembrances to Mr Locker, whom I thought to have seen at Greenwich long before this. My journey however must be delayed till the fall of the leaf. He will not wonder at this when he hears that the view of our Church history

(2)

Southey’s The Book of the Church (1824).

which I intended to comprize in one small volume, has grown into two octavos. Nevertheless I trust its fault will still be rather that of containing too little upon such a subject, than too much.

I remain Sir
your obliged & obedient servant
Robert Southey.

Notes
1. The Hour of Trial; a Tragedy (1824). A presentation copy was no. 286 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library.[back]
2. Southey’s The Book of the Church (1824).[back]
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