The Life and Correspondence of Robert Southey
Robert Southey to Grosvenor C. Bedford, 16 July 1826
“Sunday night, July 16. 1826.
“I have lost my sweet Isabel. There was hope of her recovery till yesterday evening,
when my misgivings were dreadfully confirmed by symptoms which I knew too well.
This evening she departed in a swoon, without a struggle, as if falling asleep.
“Under this heavy affliction we have the support of
religion,—the sure and only source of comfort. ![]()
| Ætat. 51. | OF ROBERT SOUTHEY. | 253 |
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I am
perfectly tranquil and master of myself, suffering most for what my wife
suffers, who yet exerts herself with Christian fortitude. But the body cannot
be controlled like the mind, and I fear I shall long feel the effects of an
anxiety which has shaken every fibre. Were it not for the sake of my family,
how gladly would I also depart, and be at rest.
“God bless you, my dear Grosvenor!
Grosvenor Charles Bedford (1773-1839)
The son of Horace Walpole's correspondent Charles Bedford; he was auditor of the
Exchequer and a friend of Robert Southey who contributed to several of Southey's
publications.
