862. Robert Southey to John May, [7-8 December 1803]*

My dear friend

I have directed Longman & Rees to send to Tavistock Street (No 4 I think) a copy of Amadis¹ for my Uncle which you will have the goodness to ship off when you find an opportunity. I have received two letters from him within the last three days, both are wholly collectanea of information de Historiâ & præterea nihil.²

My articles in the Annual Review³ as far as I can recollect what are noticeable are the Travels & Voyages of Sauer – Mackenzie – Acerbi – Olivier & Fischer. Pallas & Mrs Guthrie. The Life of Lord Walpole. The Tesoro Español – Ketts Lectures (I forget the exact title of that shallow book) & the Periodical Accounts of the Baptist Mission. There are sundry smaller articles or less interesting which I cannot call to mind – among them Poetry by the author of Gebir – a French book on the origin of printing – Memoirs of Le Kain &c.⁴ I saw the book only by accident at Bristol & cannot direct you so well where to look for what is time-worthy – except that the book of Chasteaubriand⁵ is reviewed by Mrs Barbauld – the queer author of Atala who to shew the Beauties of Xtianity calls the Almighty the Great Monk of the Universe – the eternal old Batchelor. you will trace William Taylor in Pinkertons Geography, & in the Statistics.⁶ Harry tried his hand upon Soulavie⁷ – with what success I know not, for it was not told me till too late to examine.

In this years batch I have found it necessary to chastise ignorance & knavery with a very heavy hand. you will I think find some good & most just ridicule & some honest indignation in the next volume. I am now upon the history of the Methodists – & of the Methodist Mission.⁸ I look upon myself as a very good Reviewer, never losing sight of my text – pointing out always what is valuable, & sometimes enlivening what is dull. but it is dull work – & when I lay aside Madoc⁹ or the History of Portugal¹⁰ to write for a Review – if I were a Catholic I should expect it to be set down to my mortification count score. on the creditor side of my account with Heaven.

––––

Thursday night.

Thus far had I written yesterday immediately on receiving yours. this evening there arrives a letter inclosing a draft on me for five pounds thirteen drawn by my brother Edward – the letter by the hand writing comes from some low tradesman – it is dated Exeter & says that Edward informed the writer I was duly advised & requests it may be accepted & returned by return of post. it had been directed to Bristol. I am very much disturbd & distressed by this circumstance. For what he can have incurred the expence God knows. & for a boy of fifteen to be taking up money in my name is a thing which must not be permitted. You know as much of his situation as I do, & if he be at Mr Barhams¹¹ by invitation to spend his Xmas his washing bills are all the expences he need incur. I know not what to do & never stood so much in need of advice. my first feeling was immediately to return the draft unaccepted, that the boy may feel the consequences of his ill conduct immediately – for sure I am in my own mind that he must be made to feel sooner or later, & that if he be now encouraged to rely on me I shall never be safe. – On consulting with Coleridge I have done this – & have told the holder of the draft that not knowing the cause or occasion I could not conceive what circumstances could have justified a respectable tradesman in cashing a draft for a boy just <of> fifteen. – & I have said to Edward that he ought to know as I would always exert myself to the utmost to serve him & assist him in any worthy pursuit, so he ought to be sure that I would never become an accomplice in any immoral action by giving my after sanction. this lesson will teach him that I can act decidedly.

Could I with propriety have detained the draft I should have awaited your advice. as that could not be I think what has been done is on the whole best – painful as it is. He can have no excuse for what he has done, having without my knowledge & against my known opinion quitted the situation in which I had placed him.¹² clothes he could not want having been fitted for the navy in August & having a new plain suit just before, & being by his own account at a private house he can have no justifiable expence to that amount. the holder of the draft says Edward told him I was advised – this was not the case – the boy thought to take me by surprize. I feel confident that if I had in this instance yielded he would have imagined me in his power & proceeded from bad to worse. As it now stands the lesson will <can> only frighten him – the man must take back whatever he has entrusted him with – & deserves some loss for having accepted a draft from a boy. – I thought to have ended the letter very differently but thus it is I am plagued & thus it will continue to be. It was my Uncles & Mothers fate before me.

God bless you. RS.