“When you see Gifford (and when you go near his door I wish you would make it a reason for calling), will you tell him that among the many applications to which, like himself, I am exposed on account of the Quarterly Review, there is one from Sir —— ——, concerning whose book I wrote to him some three or four months ago. I very much wish he would get Pasley to review that book. It would hardly require more than half a dozen pages; and I believe the book deserves to be brought forward, as being of great practical importance. If, as I apprehend, it shows that we are so much superior to the French in the most important branch of war in theory, as we have proved ourselves to be in the field, the work which demonstrates this ought to be brought prominently into notice, more especially as the notoriety which the Quarterly Review may give to Sir ——’s refutation of Carnot’s theories may tend to prevent our allies from committing errors, the consequence of which must be severely felt whenever France is able to resume her scheme of aggrandisement. . . . .
“Do you know that one of those London publishers who
are rogues by profession, is now publishing in sixpenny numbers a life of the King, by Robert Southy,
Esq., printed for the author. ‘Observe
| Ætat. 46. | OF ROBERT SOUTHEY. | 19 |
“The death of the King will delay my departure two or three weeks beyond the time which I had intended for it. For if I do not finish the poem, which I must of course write before I leave home, my funeral verses would not appear before the coronation. In my next letter, I shall probably horrorize you about these said verses, in which I have made some progress.
“I have about a fortnight’s work with Wesley, not more; and not so
much if this sort of holiday’s task had not come to interrupt me. I
versify very slowly, unless very much in the humour for it, and when the
passion of the part carries me forward. This can never be the case with task
verses. However, as I hope not to go beyond two or three hundred lines, I
imagine that, at any rate, a fourth part is done. I shall not be very long
about it. If I manage the
| 20 | LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE | Ætat. 46. |
“All well, thank God, at present.
“God bless you!
