451. Robert Southey to Thomas Southey, 26 October 1799*

My dear Tom

For these last three weeks you have been “poor Tom!” & we have been lamenting the capture of the Sylph – & expecting a letter from you dated “Ferrol”.¹ the newspapers said your brig was captured & carried in there – & I have written word to Lisbon & my Uncle was to write to Jardine² at Coruna, & my mother has been frightened lest you should have been killed in an action previous to your capture – & after all it is a lie!

Five weeks were we at Exeter – I wrote to you directing Torbay – & I walkd round Torbay.³ you cruized at an unlucky time, however if you have picked up an hundred pounds I am glad we did not meet.

We are in Hampshire, & shall get into our palace on Wednesday next. you will direct as formerly Burton near Ringwood.

Do you know that your old Captain Faulkner⁴ is Rickmans first cousin – his fathers nephew.

So much hope had I of seeing you when I walked down to Dartmouth & round by Brixham & the Bay that I put the Annual Anthology⁵ & the concluding books of Madoc in my knapsack for you.

Our dwelling is now in a revolutionary state – & will I trust be comfortable. small it is & somewhat quaint. but it will be clean, but there is a spare bed-room – but there is a pavilion which you know is not always to be found at Burton. & a fishpond, & a garden in which I mean to work wonders. & then my book room is such a room that like the Chapter House at Salisbury it requires a Column to support the roof. Tom I wish Portsmouth instead of Plymouth were your rendezvous then we might look to see you.

But you ought to have been taken Tom – for consider how much uneasiness has been thrown away – & here were we on seeing your handwriting expecting a long & lamentable tone & particular account of the loss of the Ville de Paris – the lapelles – the new shirts, books & all the Lieutenant-paraphernalia – & then comes a pitiful account of a cruise & 100 £ prize money instead of all these adventures!

Here was my Mother working away to make a new shirt thinking you would come home shirtless & breechesless, stinking garlick out of every pore – all oil! one great flea bite – & able to talk Spanish.

My Mother will write speedily, I am scrawling in haste that we may not lose the post. when will there be a hope of seeing you? I have no news to tell except that we expect Harry home for the Xmas holydays. Concerning my own employments – the Dom-Daniel Romance is re-christened – anabaptized Thalaba the Destroyer.⁶ & the fifth book is begun. this I should like to show you – but God knows when we shall meet since you have so much employmen more business on your hands.

God bless you. my shaving water is cooling all this while & the dinner waiting. love from Edith & my Mothe[MS obscured]

yrs affectionately Robert Southey.

October 26. 1799

And now dear Miss hus[MS obscured]⁷