1356. Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, [end of August 1807]*

My dear Wynn

It is well your accident was no worse, & will be well if it make you cautious of such danger in future.

I wish instead of falling foul upon the partridges in any other way than that of eating them, you would drive Bedford here, & let him give me earnest <how> of the visit he is to pay next year. My beds are full – for Tom is here, on leave of absence to recover his health – this however is of little matter when the town is so near. You would see me not indeed in all my glory, but still in great glory – all my books from Bristol have arrived,¹ – that is all my Uncles as well as my own, & by the time you can arrive, the shelves will be finished & filled with them. Among other things for your inspection is a small collection of coins, where you will find demi letters & semi-demi-letters, & demi-semi-demi-letters enough for half a days delight. There are some very fine ones among them.

Bedford sent me a blank receipt to sign for my pension some three weeks ago. I signed it – but who received the money Heaven knows. He told me little was to be expected, & none has arrived.²

I am going to press with the Cid.³ My possible profits by a quarto edition of 50 will be from 130 to 150 £. I would have sold the edition – the Longmen object to this, & offer advances instead. They write very civilly – indeed friendlily, – still all this is proof that my books have not the sale which they ought to have. In all probability I shall agree with them to edite Don Quixote – which they talk of printing, somewhat splendidly with prints from Smirke.⁴ I recommend them to have the old translation⁵ revised, instead of getting a new one – (which they proposed to me & I instantly refused) – & I offer to write a life of Cervantes – an account of his works, – an account of his library, as far as my own & those to which I have access will enable me, – & to annotate the whole.⁶ pleasant & easy work this, which will be in the way of my future works, & will, I hope produce enough to balance my account.

They ask my advice about a classified Catalogue Raisonnés of English Books – for those who form Libraries & for Booksellers – I can do so much of this so very easily, that if they undertake it, I shall probably engage for the main departments.⁷ These things are work of over hours which I look to to meet the extraordinaries of settling myself & collecting my books.

God bless you RS.