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Keswick Museum and Art Gallery. Not previously published.
These letters were edited with the assistance of Carol Bolton, Tim Fulford and Ian Packer
For permission to publish the text of MSS in their possession, the editor wishes to thank the Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscript Library, Yale University; Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations; the Bodleian Library Oxford University; the British Library; Boston Public Library; the Syndics of Cambridge University Library; the Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge; Haverford College, Connecticut; the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; the Hornby Library, Liverpool Libraries and Information Services; the Houghton Library, Harvard University; the John Rylands Library, Manchester; the Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas; Luton Museum (Bedfordshire County Council); Massachusetts Historical Society; McGill University Library; the National Library of Scotland; the Newberry Library, Chicago; the New York Public Library (Pforzheimer Collections); the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York; the Public Record Offices of Bedford, Suffolk (Bury St Edmunds) and Northumberland, the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge; the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne; the Trustees of the William Salt Library, Stafford, the Wisbech and Fenland Museum; the University of Virginia Library.
A research grant from the British Academy made much of the archival work possible, as did support from the English Department of Nottingham Trent University.
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I have not been to Bath. My Uncle was of decidedly
of opinion that if I could not called on Sealey, without after the manner in which he had conducted himself
towards me at Lisbon, – it would be too manifestly for the sake of seeing his daughter, – & this, it appeared to me might lead to
something unpleasant to myself, or her, or both. If you recollect that of all my
Uncles friends he was the only person who never called upon me during my last residence in Lisbon, you will perceive a marked
& purposed incivility, which was doubtless on account of my Jacobinism, & which is not likely to be softened by the present
state of affairs between you & him. I have been a good deal vexed at it, for it was very much my wish to have seen my sister elect.
relinquish forego what would have been a great gratification.
Your letter followed me from London. A Aikin promised me to send
your account immediately, & if he had kept that promise you would have received it now a month ago. I saw Pinkerton, & settled
with him that you should do any thing from the Spanish or Portugueze that I thought fit, Pinkerton leaving the selection entirely to
me. Here will be present employment, but unluckily not present pay, – for he begins with Europe, & our main materials relate to
Africa & America.which I shall draw out a catalogue of all the Sp
& P. voyages, & send to him, stating what ought to be abstracted. About those books you may have it in your power to make a
useful enquiry for me. They sailed a fortnight ago for Newcastle, on board the Carlisle. W. Currie. Do you know any body whom you could
desire to look after them, – that is to learn whether the ship is arrived, & to give orders that the cases (22 in number) be
forwarded by waggon according to direction. There is nothing to pay, & no other trouble than making the enquiry at the proper
place.
I settled with Pinkerton that there should be an abstract at great length of the first account of Abyssinia by Fr.
Alvarez.
In the Annual
Gooch told me you thought of writing a novel. Do you think you could put a
comedy together? I have a story for one which if you can arrange into acts & scenes & put together make up, I would
finish off & get presented. The fact is that I have plenty of stories for all sorts of dramas, but dislike the drama too much to
get about them, – tho to make a play would actually be, in my circumstances, to make a fortune. But if you have any disposition that
way I will send you my the plans.
The Omniana in the Athenæum
I wish I could have sent you some money, but the state of my accounts would not permit it. I talked of you to Mr Southey. My Aunt Mary thought it better that I should not directly ask him to help you, but that you should write to him yourself, – because he is a little hurt that our letters should be to her, & not to him; – & because he hopes to see his consequence acknowledged. She gave me a shirt for you, which shall form part of the parcel. I was at Taunton four days, & weather bound the whole time. He made me a present of 25 £, – which was as welcome as it was little expected.
I shall order your Medical Review,for your sake because you write in it. – I was very much pleased with Gooch, & heartily wish that circumstances may ever bring him near enough to be
better acquainted with me. His voice manner & face strongly resemble Sharon
Turners, except that Turners eyes give an appearance of imbecillity to his countenance which does not belong to him.
Laird