Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, c. 2 July 1792: '...& now in plain sober prose I am much obliged to you for your ode which I like very much. but why will you translate? It is a servile employment & not worthy of you. You want a metre you say for your next. You know Parnells Fairy tale? but I am the worst person to apply to as all my odes are irregular except Ignorance which you have. Gray's Spring & drownd cat are pretty I think — but I am not regular myself & detest regularity.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Manuscript: Sheet
Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 6 December 1792: 'I have been reading Eheu fugaces & your translation this moment together. the three last stanzas are certainly best but altogether it is in my opinion very good — tho ‘th’unpardoning God’ I do not like the epithet is rather prosaic — (you see I will point out what appears to me as faulty) a better may easily be found. & now as I have picked your bone take mine to pick cum notis Sancti Basilii.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Manuscript: Sheet
Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 16-21 January 1793: 'Of your ode a few words before I set to transcribing. Before I read the last half sheet I wished you to lengthen it for only three authors are mentioned & only Shakespear of the first rank — Nature had so little to do with Dryden that I wonder at your ranking him with the Swan of Avon — Milton Spenser — Pope — Akenside Collins — Churchill — Beaumont — Fletcher would each afford a fine scope for your fancy & will you refuse one stanza to deck the unnoted grave of Chatterton? When this fault is noticed I have noticed all. If however (as I hope) you mean to lengthen it I would not wish you to fetter yourself in the chains of precedent — regular lyrics are like despotic monarchies they look stately but lose all the energy of freedom.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Manuscript: Sheet
Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 11-18 May 1794: 'Your Anacreon & Æschylus please me much — unluckily I have neither the one nor the other in the original — & let me add do not want them with such spirited translations. I will however read them as you desire. in your lines ‘Harder than the pointed spear’ the word harder strike me as inappropriate. does the Greek signify the same? something like resistless as the pointed spear, would be more consonant to the intended meaning — your ode Quique pii vates is with me but would be unfair to fill up my letter with transcribing your verses.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Manuscript: Sheet
Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, 21 August 1794: 'When your ode reachd me it reminded me of neglect & I blushed as I read.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Manuscript: Sheet
Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, c. 1-10 October 1795, 'Your stanza on Hope may be made excellent. your translation I have not yet compared with the Greek — when I have you shall have my remarks. you should study Pope & Dryden more for your versification.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Print: BookManuscript: Sheet
Robert Southey to Grosvenor Charles Bedford, c. 1-10 October 1795, 'If you print your Musæus print the Greek likewise. for my own part — I think the poem of too immoral a nature ever to advise its circulation — & this fault no excellence of diction or splendor of imagination can ever atone for...'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Manuscript: Sheet
Robert Southey to Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, 29 January 1797: 'I have received Bedfords book this morning — he has much amended it since I saw the manuscript.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Print: Book
Robert Southey to Joseph Cottle, c. 25 June, 1797: '“The Rhedycenian Barbers” is Grosvenor Bedfords — & a most incomparable parody it is.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Robert Southey Print: Serial / periodical
