THE ос LIFE OF NELSON BY ROBERT SOUTHEY ос WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY HENRY MORLEY LL.D., PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH? LIŢERATURE AT SECOND EDITION LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL NEW YORK: 9 LAFAYETTE PLACE 1886 INTRODUCTION. IN the volume of this Library that contained his version of "The Chronicle of the Cid," some account has been given of Robert Southey's earlier life, with especial reference to the beginnings of his interest in Spanish literature. He produced "The Chronicle of the Cid" in the year 1808, when his age was thirty-four. His "Life of Nelson" was first published in 1813, when his age was thirty-nine. It was one of the best, if not the best, of his prose writings; and while busy upon it, he was busy also upon the best of his poems, Roderick, the Last of the Goths," which was published in 1814. This book belongs, therefore, to the time of Southey's life when his genius was mature, and his energies were at their fullest stretch of power. 66 After his young enthusiasm for an ideal community had been disciplined by some hard, facts, and he had come back from his run in Spain with his uncle Hill, to begin, the world as he could with the young wife whom he had married before starting, Southey had only his pen to live by. His friend Lovell had died during his absence, leaving a widow with an infant. Of the widow (his wife's sister) Southey took charge. As long as he lived he supported her, and after his death the care of her passed on to his son. But the generous sense of fellowship that made Southey helpful to others, made also an old schoolfellow and college friend, Charles Wynn, helpful to Southey, with an annuity of £160 in aid of his establishment in life. Southey, who liked neither lawyers nor large towns, entered at Gray's Inn, and settled in London, played at the study of law, worked at his poem of "Madoc," translated for a bookseller, and wrote essays on Spanish and Portuguese poetry for the Monthly Magazine. Then he asked himself why law could not be studied in the country, and settled in Hampshire, by the sea, near the New Forest, with his wife, his mother-whom also he had to supportMrs. Lovell and her child. There he prepared a second edition of his "Joan of Arc," omitting passages that had been written by Coleridge, and wrote articles for the Critical Review. He was active also in pro moting a plan for the establishment of a convalescent asylum, to confirm health in the sick poor when discharged from hospitals and not yet strong for their old labour in unhealthy homes. He returned to London for a short time only, obtained an engagement to contribute original poems to the Morning Post for a guinea a week, and withdrew to Westbury, near Bristol, where Humphry (afterwards Sir Humphry) Davy was among his friends. There he prepared second editions of his "Letters from Spain and Portugal" and of his "Minor Poems." Overworked by constant labour at his desk, he took a long walk in Wales. In May 1799 he went again to London, to eat dinners at Gray's Inn, and returned with treasures from the bookstalls. But he was obliged then to leave Westbury. After a visit to North Devon he settled his household again, in October, on the Hampshire coast, at Barton, near Christchurch. Some failure of health from constant sedentary work caused Southey to be advised to try a southern climate for a time and in the spring of the year 1800 he went again, but this time with his wife, to Lisbon. His visit was of course to uncle Hill. On his return he once more settled at Bristol, and renewed active work with the pen. Coleridge, then settled at Greta Hall, Keswick, invited Southey and his wife to Cumberland. They stayed till the autumn of 1801, and paid also a visit to Charles Wynn at Llanyedwin, where Southey received offer of the post of secretary to Mr. Corry, Chancellor of the Exchequer for Ireland, with 350 a year salary, and light duties. The duties were so light that Mr. Corry proposed adding to them the education of his sons, and Southey, in 1802, resigned his post. In 1801 Southey had published "Thalaba" and two volumes of "Poems." During a visit to London as secretary to Mr. Corry, his mother lived with him in his London lodgings, and died there. After he had given up official life, Southey settled again at Bristol, in a little house, where in the autumn his first child was born, and died. Southey worked at his translation of "Amadis of Gaul" and the History of Portugal." He also edited Chatterton's poems for the benefit of Chatterton's sister and niece, securing £300 for their benefit. In July 1803 he was in London, planning the publication by Messrs. Longman of a "Bibliotheca Britannica," an encyclopædia of British literature on a large scale. Coleridge, having found his tendency to rheumatism increased by the climate of the lakes, went to Malta, and Southey, who had not yet found a fixed habitation, went to Greta Hall, a house planned originally to be two in one. There his wife, who had recently lost her child, could be with her sister, Mrs. Coleridge, who had two boys, Hartley and Derwent, and a baby, Sara; her other sister, Mrs. Lovell, Southey's wife had always with her. In May 1804 a daughter was born to Southey, whom he named Edith May. |
