1684. Robert Southey to John Rickman, 22 September [1809]*
My dear Rickman
I was about to fold up these the concluding Chapters under cover to Perceval,1 – when it occurred to me that he might no longer be in Spain by this time. Where you are, or where the Emperor2 is I know not: but this will find him, & if when it finds you, you have not the Emperor at hand to frank it on, – send it in to Bedford, – & he will devise some means of getting a name potential on the cover.
RevdH. Hill
Hereford
I am putting together the additional notes & the Bibliographical Appendix.
Has Aaron seen the maps to Azaras Voyage?3
I have lost all hope of seeing you this year – & am now not sorry for the disappointment (were it not for the cause) – for our weather having been uninterruptedly bad for the last six weeks.
Duppa will be here for three days next week.
I begin to be impatient for the black letter title page. You I hope will think my book as good as the subject admits of. The next volume will be more interesting, & (I hope) less laborious than this has proved.4
farewell RS
Friday Sept. 22.
Notes
Address: To/ John Rickman Esqr.
Endorsement: From/ RS./ 22
Septr. 1809
MS: Huntington Library, RS 145. ALS; 2p.
Unpublished. Back
1. The first volume of Southey’s History of Brazil, published in 1810. Back
2. A nickname for the Speaker of the House of Commons, Charles Abbott, who had the power to frank mail. Rickman, his secretary, used this facility on Southey’s behalf. Back
3. Felix Manuel de Azara (1742–1821), Voyages dans l’Amerique Meridionale depuis 1781, jusqu’ en 1801 (1809), no. 90 in the sale catalogue of Southey’s library. Back
4. The second volume of Southey’s History of Brazil was published in 1817. Back