Robert Southey: History, Politics, Religion (Nineteenth-Century Major Lives and Letters)

Robert Southey’s preoccupation with the presumed danger of admitting Catholics to Parliament, following the Irish Act of Union, has always been an embarrassment to his admirers. Stuart Andrews, in Robert Southey , argues that the Poet Laureate’s denunciation of global Catholicism is essential to understanding his life, works, and times. On this issue Southey was absolutely consistent—from his first visit to Lisbon in 1795 to his Colloquies published in 1829. Echoes of the debate have faded, but Southey’s partisan rhetoric reflects its intensity and reveals much about the religious culture and concern for English identity in this stormy period Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Robert Southey: Life and Times......Page 16 Abbreviations......Page 20 1. The Shadow of 1798: Rebellion and Union......Page 22 2. Poet as Traveler: Lisbon, Madrid, Dublin......Page 42 3. Poet as Journalist: Dailies, Monthlies, Quarterlies......Page 60 4. Jacobins and Jesuits: Wat Tyler and Other Ghosts......Page 80 5. End of Controversy? Monks, Friars, Methodists......Page 100 6. Laureate Historian: Southey and “smooth Butler”......Page 122 7 . “Rome’s Brazen Serpent”: Milner as Merlin......Page 142 8. Supporting Batteries: Southey Defended......Page 162 9. Eve of Emancipation: The Quarterly and Ireland......Page 182 10. After the Act: Southey, Coleridge, and Anglican Englishness......Page 202 Works Cited......Page 222 Index......Page 236 The shadow of 1798: rebellion and union Poet as traveller: Lisbon, Madrid, Dublin Poet as journalist: weeklies, monthlies, quarterlies Jacobins and Jesuits: Wat Tyler and other ghosts End of controversy? monks, friars, Methodists Laureate historian: Southey and 'smooth Butler' Rome's brazen serpent: Milner as Merlin Supporting batteries: Southey defended Eve of emancipation: the quarterly on Ireland After the act: Southey and Anglican Englishness. In Robert Southey , Andrews argues that Robert Southey's denunciation of global Catholicism is essential to understanding his life, works, and times. On this issue, Southey was absolutely consistent in all his work and the Poet Laureate's partisan rhetoric reveals much about the religious culture of this stormy period in England.