Book Description

Excerpt from Selections From the Letters of Robert Southey, &C., &C., &C, Vol. 4 of 4 I found your letter on my return after an eight weeks' absence. To its former part I can only say that it would be to me a great pleasure to hear often from you, and a still greater to see you. Time and distance make no change in my affections; we shift our se quaintance as we shift our place of abode. Friendship is a different thing, and I never yet cast off a friend till he had shown himself unworthy of standing in that re lation. Among many lies in the newspapers, you have probably made out the truth respecting my return for the borough of Downton; that it was made without my knowledge, and that I have declined the honour, as being neither consistent with my circumstances, incli nations, habits, or pursuits in life. The return happens to be null, because the pension which I hold (200l.) is during pleasure. If I had chosen to take the seat, this might have been transferred to my wife, or made for life, by merely asking to have it done. But I know my station, and am contented in it. My ambition, even 11) youth, would never have led me into public life, and. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.