26. Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, [c. 6 October 1792]*

My dear friend

Before I send off my packet of letters to Rye & to York let me acknowledge your kind letter & return my thanks for this & every other favor. I hope I shall soon do it in person as I spend my Xmas with Mr Lamb & must pass thro London in my way. if I find you there as I trust it shall it will be an inducement to detain me a few days in a city which I never can think of with pleasure.

make my best apologies to Collins & assure him if this post would give me time I would make them myself — Sunday I will. perhaps the cool considerate Collins may not allow for a little forgetfulness when the mind was overcharged with indignities which it had not deserved. you can & I trust will.

you will perhaps wonder in what manner I can during this long time employ myself my dear Bedford in a most arduous & important task. Euclid¹ I lay aside with despair & have began to look seriously into myself. & now when I say all my faults are in my waistcoat pocket you will discover the same levity that always haunted me. indeed there they are a long catalogue but I mean them to read them every day & a sermon every Sunday till I may safely offer them to their author on the altar of Cloaci<na>²

I thought of sending you the list but tho’ I can expose it to myself why should I to any body else. I cannot acquit myself of any one fault therein specified yet I did not esteem myself so bad till I saw the accumulate.

Hooke I believe is at St Mary Hall. where DOyly & Wentworth³ are I know not I wish no acquaintance with either of them. DO. is a learned fool. Hooke I very much dislike. I despise his enmity but I fear his friendship. he has privately caracatured me & if he does it publickly I care not. to his merit I will always bear testimony — but notwithstanding our mutual injuries, cold civility will be all he ever must expect to meet with from me. times presses me very much I am still indebted a long letter to you & if I forget not you have promised me one. what a novel might be made of the characters I know. the charitable Dr V. the liberal & learned Huncamunca.⁴ the witty Smedley⁵ — the Christian clergyman in Dodd — Mountague Kelly — young Wynn — the temperate Bunbury little Joe the philosopher. common sense in myself — grammatical nicety & a pig tail in you know who. the good Nares. all these you are acquainted with. & I know as many more. expect to hear from me early next week & believe me

your sincerely

Robert Southey.