1211. W. W. to ROBERT SOUTHEY

• Address: Rob^t Southey, Esq^re. [In M. W.'s hand]
• MS. St. John's College, Cambridge. Hitherto Unpublished.

• Friday morning
• [? 16 Mar. 1838]

My dear Southey,

We condole with you sincerely upon the death of your Brother.¹ His loss must be most severely felt by his Widow and family; and we much fear that a still heavier pressure, in consequence of this Event, may come upon your self and your Brother Dr Southey. My own Brother has been very much indisposed for several months, but we have learned today that he is somewhat better; his illness was the consequence of great fatigue, caused by the necessity, in addition to his other labours, of examining all the deeds, Statutes, and other writings, concerning his College, previous to the intended proceedings of the Commission of enquiry.²

By the decease of Lady Lonsdale, I have lost one of my most valued Friends. I feel it sharply. A more humbleminded Person could not exist; she was affectionate, courteous, kind or charitable to everyone according to the relations in which they stood towards [her].³ Poor Lord Lonsdale! It must be a sad blow to him; they had been married 57 years.

(p. 533) pg 533Your account of your State of health and spirits grieves me much. But as to the hernia, it being inguinal and not femoral, there is no danger in it if a good truss be constantly used; this I know, not from [my] own experience, but from that of several Friends. Mr Crabbe Robinson has had this infirmity, but the swelling disappeared by the use of the truss; so did it with my Sister. But a Person who has once been affected in this way, though all outward signs may have disappeared, should never go from home without that support at hand. Mr Robinson alarmed me a good deal in Italy by not having taken this precaution. He had overstrained himself in two days' long walking up the Appennines, and the threatening pain returned; but afterwards he became more moderate in his exercise and no further mischief ensued. It is absolutely necessary for ease and comfort that the pad of the truss should not be too large. The best, Mr Carr says, is Salmon and Oddys opposite-sided truss.—But in London you can suit yourself, only for heaven's sake provide the best you can immediately. Mr Quillinan's father lost his life because he would not submit to the inconvenience of putting up with a Portuguese one till a better could be had from London.

I forward a letter and shall also send a Pamphlet¹ from Mr Merewether as in duty bound: but I shall tell him that it is quite out of your power, for sundry weighty reasons, to pay the least attention to the subject at present, if ever; so don't trouble yourself even to think about it for a month.

Thanks for Madoc, he is an old and highly valued Friend. But what a cheap Book!² Mrs W. has been reading the Poem and is charmed with it. What is to come of you and me as Poets in future times, it would be presumptuous to aim at determining, but surely we shall have a better chance of being remembered than some others who have figured in our day.

How sorry I am that your engagements don't allow you to come over with Bertha. I do not like the thought of your long absence, and still less if you are to go without my seeing you.³ (p. 534) pg 534Would it inconvenience you if I should come over for a night. God bless you.

• Most affectionately yours          
• W^m Wordsworth