4099. Robert Southey to John Taylor Coleridge, [3 December 1823]

Address: To/ J.T. Coleridge Esq^re/ 2. Pump Court/ Temple.
Postmark: 7 NIGHT 7/ 3 DR/ 1823
Endorsements: 1823/ Dec^r. 4^th/ R. Southey. Westminster
MS: British Library, Add MS 47553. ALS; 3p.
Previously published: W. Braekman, ‘Letters by Robert Southey to Sir John Taylor Coleridge’, Studia Germanica Gandensia, 6 (1964), 134–135.
Dating note: The letter’s content and postmark suggest it was written on Wednesday 3 December 1823.

My dear Sir

I am much obliged both to you & your brother

⁽¹⁾

for your proposal concerning Eton. But as our present engagements stand – it will I think be more convenient (if we can so arrange it) to go there from Richmond while we are J Mays guests. There will be economy of distance by this means.

I will remember the Professorship, tho with more will I fear than ability to be of any service.

⁽²⁾

Can you obtain for me M^rs Bills address? I shall be at Greenwich

⁽³⁾

on Saturday, & it may be better that I should write a few lines to her first, rather than take her, by surprize.

God bless you
RS.

I return to my brothers on Friday. Will you breakfast with me there the next morning? His hour (on account of his Lectures)

⁽⁴⁾

is ten, but I am always stirring at eight.

Wednesday afternoon.

Notes

1. Edward Coleridge (1800–1883), a Master at Eton College 1825–1857, Fellow of Eton College 1857–1883 and Vicar of Mapledurham 1862–1883.[back]

2. John Taylor Coleridge had asked for Southey’s help to secure the Professorship of Common Law on the Vinerian Foundation at the University of Oxford. Coleridge’s campaign was unsuccessful and in January 1824 it was announced that Philip Williams (1780–1843), a Fellow of New College, Oxford, and a barrister at Winchester had been appointed. [back]

3. Southey intended to visit Edward Collins (c. 1777–1841), a captain in the 21st Light Dragoons, and brother of Charles Collins, his old school-friend. Southey had narrowly missed seeing Edward Collins in 1819 on his visit to Scotland.[back]

4. Henry Herbert Southey delivered regular lectures as part of his duties as Physician to the Middlesex Hospital 1815–1827.[back]

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Lynda Pratt

Ian Packer

4099. Robert Southey to John Taylor Coleridge, [3 December 1823]

4099. Robert Southey to John Taylor Coleridge, [3 December 1823]

Notes

The Collected Letters of Robert Southey: Part Seven

Lynda Pratt, Ian Packer