The Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey
Robert Southey to Henry Southey, 30 October 1822
“As soon as you departed I settled regularly to my
habitual course of life, which has been so much to my benefit broken up through
the summer. At the same time I very dutifully began to observe your directions,
and have walked every day with the exception of one stormy one. This is against
the grain, but I feel the benefit of it, and therefore do not grumble.
“The American books have arrived, and I am ![]()
| Ætat. 48. | OF ROBERT SOUTHEY. | 125 |
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reading with much interest Dwight’s Travels in his own country—a posthumous work. The author (whose
unhappy name is Timothy) wrote in his youth some forty
years ago, an heroic poem upon the Conquest of Canaan, which was puffed and
reprinted in London. Its stilted versification was admired in those days, but
it had little or no real merit. Dwight, however, though a
bad poet,—because of a bad school,—was a sensible man; and he kept a journal of
his travels, and prepared it for publication, from a conviction that a faithful
description of New England in all its parts, such as it then was, would in a
few generations become exceedingly interesting, however unimportant it might
appear if published as soon as it was written. A great deal of course is only
interesting locally; but on the whole, the picture of what the country is, his
fair views of the state of society then, with its advantages and disadvantages,
and the number of curious facts which are brought together, make it very well
worth reading. I would give a good deal to see as trustworthy and minute an
account of the Southern States. This is just the sort of book which ought to be
digested into a review.
“The Quarterly
Review will not do itself any good by the mealy-mouthed manner in
which it has dealt with Lord Byron. The
excuse for its previous silence is wretched; and to preach a sermon in refutation of so
silly a piece of sophistry as Cain
is pitiful indeed. To crown all, while they are treating his Lordship with so
much respect, and congratulating themselves on the improved morality of his ![]()
| 126 | LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE | Ætat. 48. |
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productions—out comes ‘the Liberal.’ I have only seen some
newspaper extracts from this journal, among them the description of myself. He may go on with such
satire till his heart aches, before he can excite in me one uncomfortable
emotion. In warring with him I have as much advantage in my temper as Orlando had in his invulnerable hide. But there
is no necessity for striking a blow at one who has so completely condemned
himself. I wish the Liberals joy of their journal.*
“Love from all. God bless you!
Timothy Dwight (1752-1817)
Yale-educated American theologian and Connecticut Wit; author of
The
Conquest of Canaan (1788) and
Greenfield Hill
(1794).
Henry Herbert Southey (1783-1865)
The younger brother of Robert Southey; educated at Edinburgh University, he was physician
to George IV, Gresham Professor of Medicine, and friend of Sir Walter Scott.
The Quarterly Review. (1809-1967). Published by John Murray, the
Quarterly was instigated by Walter
Scott as a Tory rival to the
Edinburgh Review. It was edited by
William Gifford to 1824, and by John Gibson Lockhart from 1826 to 1853.
