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Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas, Austin. Previously published: Charles Ramos, The Letters of Robert Southey to John May: 1797–1838 (Austin, Texas, 1976), pp. 41–43.
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.
Any dashes occurring in line breaks have been removed.
Because of web browser variability, all hyphens have been typed on the U.S. keyboard.
Dashes have been rendered as a variable number of hyphens to give a more exact rendering of their length.
Southey’s spelling has not been regularized.
Writing in other hands appearing on these manuscripts has been indicated as such, the content recorded in brackets.
& has been used for the ampersand sign.
£ has been used for £, the pound sign
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My better plan respecting Edward will be when I am next in
London to call on Dr Roberts, the Master of St Pauls,
Dr Thomas has written to me. he says he has struggled hard to preserve Miss Tylers estates for better times, that he has raisd the rentals, which will make
<them> sell better if they must be sold – that till her affairs be settled he will supply her with money as it comes into his
hands, or before, if it can be done with any convenience to himself. “Yet (he adds) every thing that can be done will be of no avail
unless she will resolutely determine to live within her income.” – how all this business can be settled
I know not – as her embarrasments become more pressing she has let my Mother
know more respecting them, & she is indebted to her friends more deeply than I supposed or than Dr Thomas can imagine. Edward must
certainly be removed – the situation is ruinous to him. his restraints & indulgencies are equally improper. he is never suffered to
play with his school-fellows – therefore whenever he has been playing he comes home with a falshood to excuse himself. he has been so
much her companion that he has all the forward tittle-tattle of an old superannuated Master-of-the-Ceremonies. he has no diffidence, no
sincerity – the boy has lived so much in the theatre that he is perpetually
acting a part. of me & only of me he stands in some awe – but the moment he is out of my sight he is doing something wrong, &
neither repeated detection, reproof nor admonition seem to have <any> effect in curing him of falshood. Nothing can be so ruinous
as living with a person whom he does not love & does not respect. I shall be in town the first of May & will take measures for
settling him.
Mr Pine,
My Uncle used to call Penwarnehanging hiding
his money & watch in the foot of his boot, which somebody stole out of his bedroom one day.
Mr Maurice writes me a good account of Harry. he finds him quick & attentive & is about to begin French with him
& mathematics. Maurices is a very handsome letter – he seems attached to
Harry & to take an interest in bringing his talents forward. for
the holydays Harry is invited to a Mr Mannings
I find great pleasure in the correspondence of William Taylor, his attainments are infinitely beyond those of any man whom I ever knew, & he has no parade, no ostentation of knowledge. the notice & company of such a man will greatly stimulate Harry to his studies; as not all the advice in the world could make him so sensible of the advantages derivable from them.
You will perhaps be pleased to hear that I look forward to the conclusion of Madoc. of the 15 book to which the first copy extends, 12 are finished. I almost expect to show you the whole in May. I have some prospect of seeing N Wales when our year is expired here. Wynn has some plan of that kind for me – & I much want to study the scenery of that country.
Ediths remembrance.
I break open my letter to beg you would send my Mothers money.