1558. Robert Southey to John Murray, 20 December 1808*

Keswick. Dec. 20. 1808.Sir

An unavoidable accident made my parcel ten minutes too late for this days coach, – which would have conveyed it to you on Friday; – & in consequence you cannot now receive it before Monday.

I have found it impossible to include more than the Indian mission & controversy in one article.¹ You will find a decided opinion in its favour, but by no means an unqualified approbation of the Missionaries, tho there is a fair testimony borne to their merits. The political objections are fairly met & to the best of my judgement fairly refuted, – nor has that judgement been either lightly or lately taken up. Having thoroughly studied, & actually half written the history of the Portgueze in Asia my opinion is the result of a wider knowledge of the Hindoos than has fallen to the share of the Anti-Missioners.

The remaining missions will furnish two articles of some twelve or fourteen pages each, & of a very different character from this argumentative one – One will relate to the South Sea Islands, the other to South Africa.² In these I propose to give the history of what has been done, speculate upon what should be done, & collect & arrange the information which is scattered thro the journals. And in one of these I shall compare the Protestant with the Catholic Missionaries.

I am Sir Yrs respectfully Robert Southey.