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A volume, [1805] (watermark 1800), in the hand of 'J.W.L.' [probably Sir James Winter Lake, bart], containing an outline of Robert Southey's poem 'Madoc'.
The outline consists of a prose summary of the contents of parts one (ff. 7-111) and two (ff. 113-218) of the poem, as first published in Robert Southey, Madoc, 2 vols (London, 1805), with numerous quotations from the text throughout. A list of characters (ff. 4-5) and closing notes (ff. 218-219) are based on Southey's Preface. Also included are some of Southey's notes on Bards from the appendix to Vol. 1 (ff. 66-68); a description of the beaver from Thomas Pennant, History of Quadrupeds, 2 vols (London: B. White, Fleet Street, 1781, ESTC T113535), pp. 383-387 (ff. 71-76); several ink and watercolour drawings (ff. 2 verso, 5, 6, 7, 70 verso, 75 verso, 112, 113, 219), some based on plates in the printed work; and four prints which have been pasted into the volume (ff. 3 recto-verso, 6 verso, 85 verso). The volume was written to commemorate 'the departure of an affectionate son to Prince of Wales's Island [now Penang, Malaysia] in the East Indies on Sat[urda]y April 20 1805' (see f. 3); the new chaplain assigned to Penang in 1805 was the Rev. Atwill Lake, son of Sir James Winter Lake, Edmonton, Middlesex.

A photostat facsimile of an autograph letter of Robert Southey (1774-1843), dated 12 November 1816, from the Lord Kenyon collection.

This collection comprises poetry by Robert Southey and correspondence between him and his friend and patron Charles Watkin Williams Wynn, son of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 4th bart, of Wynnstay, Denbighshire, also letters to Charles's brother, Sir Henry Watkin Williams Wynn. There are 540 letters from Southey to Charles, 364 from Charles to Southey and 759 from Charles to Henry (see also NLW MSS 2789-2806).