278. Robert Southey to Joseph Cottle, 14 December 1797*

Thursday. 14 Dec. 97My dear Cottle

Your parcel & its contents arrived safe. I found it on my return from a library belonging to the dissenters¹ — in Redcross Street; from which, by permission of Dr Towers² one of the Trustees, I brought back books of great importance for my Maid of Orleans. a hackney coach horse turned into a field of grass falls not more eagerly to a breakfast which lasts the whole day, than I attacked the fol old folios so respectably covered with dust. I begin to like dirty rotten binding, & whenever I get among books pass by the gilt coxcombs & yet disturb the spiders. — But you shall hear what I have got. a Latin poem in four long books upon Joan of Arc. very bad — but it gives me a quaint note or two — & Valerandus Valerius³ is a fine name for a quotation. a small quarto of the Life of the Maid, chiefly extracts from forgotten authors, printed at Paris. 1612. with a print of her on horseback, & another on foot in the same dress & attitude as the one I have.⁴ A sketch of her life, by Jacobus Philippus Bergomensis⁵ — bless the length of his erudite name! — this is short but the most valuable of all, inasmuch as I have his authority for her prediction of her <own> death — & that he has given me matter for a noble speech in Book 3. (I write in the spirit of prophecy for its nobleness.) by saying that her first vision was in a ruined church, where the weather drove her to pass the night with her flock. there are more treasures in this library — & I go there again on Monday next.

If you think what I am about to say to Biggs will spur him — read & send it. he behaves very unhandsomely. the book is wanted — & delay is a real loss.

John May & Carlisle were here last night, & we struck out a plan which if we can effect it will be of great use. it is to be called the Convalescent Asylum, & intended to receive persons who are sent from the hospitals — as the immediate return to unwholesome air — bad diet — & all the loathsomeness of poverty, destroys a very great number. the plan is to employ them in a large garden — & it is supposed that the institution in about three years will support itself. on a small scale — for 40 persons — but the success of one will give birth to many others. Wynn enters heartily into it — wex meet on Saturday again — & as soon as the plan is at all digested — Carlisle means to send it to Beddoes for his inspection.

We were led to this by the circumstance of finding a poor woman, almost dying for want, who is now rapidly recovering in the hospital under Carlisle.

God bless you — I am ashamed to see the fragment upon Malvern⁶ in my desk — but if you saw how my visitors come drop in — you would excuse the appearance of neglect.

Ediths love.

yrs affectionately R Southey

Rossers charge is so palpably unjust that I am sorry you have employed him in Lloyds book. you well know that the fault was wholly his own.

How is William Reids⁷ arm?

I shall write soon to Danvers.

Have you found the conclusion of the first book?