319. To Robert Southey

Address: Mr Southey | Kingsdown Parade | Bristol
MS. Lord Latymer. Pub. with omis.Letters, i. 326.
Postmark: 18 February 1800. Stamped: Strand.

Tuesday Feb. 18. [ 1800]

My dear Southey

What do you mean by the words -- 'it is induced by expectation?' speaking of your state of Health. -- I can not bear to think of your going to a strange country, without any one with you who loves & understands you. -- But we will talk of all this. -- I have not

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a moment's Time -- & my head aches -- I was up till 5 o clock this morning -- My Brain so overworked, that I could doze troublously & with cold limbs, so affected was my circulation / I shall do no more for Stewart. -- Read Pitt's Speech in the Morning Post of today (Tuesday Feb. 18.) I reported the whole with notes so scanty, that -- Mr Pitt is much obliged to me.  1  For by heaven he never talked half as eloquently in his Life time. He is a stupid insipid Charlatan, that  Pitt -- Indeed, except Fox, I, you, or any Body might learn to speak better than any man in the House. -For the next fortnight I expect to be so busy, that I shall go out of London a mile or so to be wholly uninterrupted----I do not understand the Beguinages of Holland  2 ----Phillips is a good for nothing fellow; but what of that? -- He will give you 60£ and advance half the money now, for a Book which you can do in a Fortnight -- or three weeks at farthest. -- I would advise you not to give it up hastily. -- Phillips eats no flesh -- I observe wittily enough that whatever might be thought of innate Ideas, there could be no doubt to a man who had seen Phillips of the existence of innate Beef. Let my Mad Ox keep my name -- Fire & Famine do just what you like with -- I have no wish either way. -The fears in Solitude, I fear, is not my Property -- & I have no encouragement to think, it will be given up -- / but if I hear otherwise, I will let you know speedily -- in the mean time do not rely on it --.

Your Review-Plan cannot answer for this reason -- It could exist only as long [as] the Ononymous Anti-anonymists remained in life, health, & the humor -- & no Publisher would undertake a periodical Publication on so Gossamery a tie. Besides, it really would not be right for any man to make so many people have strange & uncomfortable feelings towards him -- which must be the case, however kind the Reviews might be. -- And what but Nonsense is published? -- The Author of Gebir I cannot find out -- There are none of his Books in Town -- You have made a Sect of Gebirites by your Review 3 -- but it was not a fair, tho' a very kind, Review. -- I have sent a Letter to Mrs Fricker, which Sara directed to you -- I hope, it has come safe.

Let me see, are there any other Questions. Sara. 4
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1 	William Pitt's speech on the continuance of the war with France was delivered on 17 Feb. 1800, and reported by Coleridge next day in the Morning Post. See Essays on His Own Times, ii. 293-306.
2 	John Rickman proposed to Southey the development in England of religious establishments for women, similar to the beguinages in the Netherlands.
3 	See Critical Review, Sept. 1799.
4 	Coleridge did not finish his sentence, but he apparently intended to say Sara will write, since Mrs. Coleridge added a note after his signature.

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So, my dear Southey -- God love you, & never, never cease to believe that I am

affectionately your's S. T. Coleridge

Love to Edith. -- Hartley well, save Cold -- Sara still miserable. --