POEMSBYCHARLESLAMB,OFTHEINDIAHOUSE

notes

page1.dedicationtos.t.coleridge,esq.

in1818,whenlambwrotethesewords,hewasforty-threeandcoleridgeforty-six.theworks,inthefirstvolumeofwhichthisdedicationappeared,weredividedintotwovolumes,thesecond,containingprose,beingdedicatedtomartinburney,inthesonnetwhichihaveplacedonpage45.thepublishersoftheworkswerecharlesandjamesollier,who,startingbusinessabout1816,hadalreadypublishedforleighhunt,keats,andshelley.

fortheallusiontothethreefoldcord,inthesecondparagraph,seethenoteonpage313.

the******innwasthesalutationandcat,innewgatestreet,sincerebuilt,wherecoleridgeusedtostayonhislondonvisitswhenhewasatcambridge,andwherethelandlordissaidtohaveaskedhimtocontinueasafreeguest—ifonlyhewouldtalkandtalk.writingtocoleridgein1796lambrecalls"thelittlesmokyroomatthesalutationandcat,wherewehavesattogetherthroughthewinternights,beguilingthecaresoflifewithpoesy;"andagain,"ihavebeendrinkingegg-hotandsmokingoronooko(associatedcircumstances,whicheverforciblyrecalltomymindoureveningsandnightsatthesalutation)."laterheaddedtotheseconcomitantsofasalutationevening,"egg-hot,welsh-rabbit,andmetaphysics,"andgaveashishighestideaofheaven,listeningtocoleridge"repeatingoneofbowles'ssweetestsonnets,inyoursweetmanner,whilewetwowereindulgingsympathy,asolitaryluxury,bythefiresideatthesalutation."

theline—

ofsummerdaysandofdelightfulyears

isfrombowles—"sonnetwrittenatostend."

page3.lamb'searliestpoem.millevicemortis.

inams.bookthathadbelongedtojamesboyerofchrist'shospital,inwhichhisbestscholarsinscribedcompositions,aretheselinessignedcharleslamb,1789.alllamb'sgreciansaretheretoo.thebookwasdescribedbythelatedykescampbell,lamb'smostaccomplishedandenthusiasticstudent,intheillustratedlondonnews,december26,1891.

page4.poemsincoleridge'spoemsonvarioussubjects,1796.

thisbookwaspublishedbycottle,ofbristol,in1796.lambcontributedfourpoems,whichwerethusreferredtobycoleridgeinthepreface:"theeffusionssignedc.l.werewrittenbymr.charleslamb,oftheindiahouse—independentlyofthesignaturetheirsuperiormeritwouldhavesufficientlydistinguishedthem."lambreprintedthefirstonlyonce,in1797,inthesecondeditionofcoleridge'spoems,theremainingthreeagaininhisworksin1818.ihavefollowedinthebodyofthisvolumethetextoftheselaterappearances,theoriginalformofthesonnetsbeingrelegatedtothenotes.

page4.aswhenachildonsomelongwinter'snight.

somemysteryattachestotheauthorshipofthissonnet.ondecember1,1794,coleridgewrotetotheeditorofthemorningchroniclesayingthatheproposedtosendaseriesofsonnets("asitisthefashiontocallthem")addressedtoeminentcontemporaries;andheenclosedonetomr.erskine.theeditor,withalmostchinesepoliteness,insertedbeneaththesonnetthisnote:"ourelegantcorrespondentwillhighlygratifyeveryreaderoftastebythecontinuanceofhisexquisitelybeautifulproductions."theseriescontinuedwithburke,priestley,lafayette,kosciusko,chatham,bowles,and,ondecember29,1794,mrs.siddons—thesonnethereprinted—allsigneds.t.c.

butthenextappearanceofthesonnetwasasaneffusionbylambincoleridge'spoemsonvarioussubjects,1796,signedc.l.;anditsnextinthepoems,1797,amonglamb'scontributions.in1803,however,wefinditincoleridge'spoems,thirdedition,withnoreferencetolambwhatever.thisprobablymeansthatlambandcoleridgehadwrittenittogether,thatcoleridge'soriginalsharehadbeenthegreater,andthatlambandhehadcometoanarrangementbywhichcoleridgewastobeconsideredthesoleauthor;forlambdidnotreprintitin1818withhisotherearlyverse.writingin1796tocoleridgeconcerninghistreatmentofotheroflamb'ssonnets,lambsays:"thattomrs.siddons,now,youwerewelcometoimprove,ifithadbeenworthit;butisayuntoyouagain,coleridge,sparemyewelambs."suchadistinctiondrawnbetweenthesonnettomrs.siddonsandtheotherssupportsthebeliefthatlambhadnotforitadeeplyparentalfeeling.

thiswasnottheonlyoccasiononwhichlambandcoleridgewroteasonnetinpartnership.writingtosoutheyindecember,1794,coleridgesays:"ofthefollowingsonnet,thefourlastlineswerewrittenbylamb,amanofuncommongenius…."

sonnet

ogentlelook,thatdidstmysoulbeguile,

whyhastthouleftme?stillinsomefonddream

revisitmysadheart,auspicioussmile!

asfallsonclosingflowersthelunarbeam;

whattimeinsicklymood,atpartingday

ilaymedownandthinkofhappieryears;

ofjoys,thatglimmeredinhope'stwilightray,

thenleftmedarklinginavaleoftears.

opleasantdaysofhope—foreverflown!

couldirecallone!—butthatthoughtisvain,

availethnotpersuasion'ssweetesttone

tolurethefleet-wingedtravellersbackagain:

anon,theyhastetoeverlastingnight,

norcanagiant'sarmarrestthemintheirflight.

subsequentlycoleridgerewrotethefinalcouplet.

thesamelettertosoutheyinformsusthatthesonnettomrs.siddonswasnotlamb'searliestpoem,althoughitstandsfirstinhispoeticalworks;forcoleridgeremarks:"haveyouseenhis[lamb's]divinesonnet,'o!icouldlaughtohearthewinterwind'?"(seepage5).

lambprintedthesonnettomrs.siddonstwice—in1796and1797.

page4.wasitsomesweetdeviceoffaery.

thissonnetpassedthroughvariousvicissitudes.lambhadsentittocoleridgeforhispoemsonvarioussubjectsin1796,andcoleridgeproceededtore-modelitmoreinaccordancewithhisownviews.thefollowingversion,representinghismodifications,wastheonethatfounditswayintoprintaslamb's:—

wasitsomesweetdeviceoffaeryland

thatmock'dmystepswithmanyalonelyglade,

andfanciedwand'ringswithafair-hair'dmaid?

havethesethingsbeen?ordidthewizardwand

ofmerlinwave,impregningvacantair,

andkindleupthevisionofasmile

inthoseblueeyes,thatseem'dtospeakthewhile

suchtenderthings,asmightenforcedespair

todropthemurth'ringknife,andletgoby

hisfellresolve?ahme!thelonelyglade

stillcourtsthefootstepsofthefair-hair'dmaid,

amongwhoselocksthewest-windslovetosigh;

butiforlorndowander,recklesswhere,

andmidmywand'ringsfindnoannathere!