LETTER43

letter43

charleslambtorobertsouthey

[latejanuaryorearlyfebruary,1799.]

dr.southey,—lloydwillnowbeabletogiveyouanaccountofhimself,sotohimileaveyouforsatisfaction.greatpartofhistroublesarelightenedbythepartialrecoveryofhissister,whohadbeenalarminglyillwithsimilardiseasestohisown.theotherpartofthefamilytroublessleepsforthepresent,butifearwillawakeatsomefuturetimetoconfoundanddisunite.hewillprobablytellyouallaboutit.robertstillcontinuesherewithme,hisfatherhasproposednothing,butwouldwillinglylurehimbackwithfairprofessions.butrobertisendowedwithawisefortitude,andinthisbusinesshasactedquitefromhimself,andwiselyacted.hisparentsmustcomeforwardintheend.ilikereducingparentstoasenseofundutifulness.ilikeconfoundingtherelationsoflife.prayletmeseeyouwhenyoucometotown,andcontrivetogivemesomeofyourcompany.

ithankyouheartilyforyourintendedpresents,butdobynomeansseethenecessityyouareunderofburtheningyourselfthereby.youhavereadoldwither'ssupersedeastosmallpurpose.youobjecttomypausesbeingattheendofmylines.idonotknowanygreatdifficultyishouldfindindiversifyingorchangingmyblankverse;butigouponthemodelofshakspereinmyplay,andendeavourafteracolloquialeaseandspirit,somethinglikehim.icouldsoeasilyimitatemilton'sversification;butmyear&feelingwouldrejectit,oranyapproachestoit,inthedrama.idonotknowwhethertobegladorsorrythatwitcheshavebeendetectedaforetimesinshuttingupofwombs.icertainlyinventedthatconceit,anditscoincidencewithfactisincidental[?accidental],forineverheardit.ihavenotseenthoseversesoncol.despard—idonotreadanynewspapers.aretheyshort,tocopywithoutmuchtrouble?ishouldliketoseethem.

ijustsendyouafewrhymesfrommyplay,theonlyrhymesinit—aforest-livergivinganaccountofhisamusements:—

whatsportshaveyouintheforest?

notmany,—somefew,—asthus.

toseethesuntobed,andseehimrise,

likesomehotamouristwithglowingeyes,

burstingthelazybandsofsleepthatboundhim:

withallhisfiresandtravellinggloriesroundhim:

sometimesthemoononsoftnight-cloudstorest,

likebeautynestlinginayoungman'sbreast,

andallthewinkingstars,herhandmaids,keep

admiringsilence,whilethoseloverssleep:

sometimesoutstretch'dinveryidleness,

noughtdoing,sayinglittle,thinkingless,

toviewtheleaves,thindancersuponair,

goeddyinground;andsmallbirdshowtheyfare,

whenmotherautumnfillstheirbeakswithcorn,

filch'dfromthecarelessamalthea'shorn;

andhowthewoodsberriesandwormsprovide,

withouttheirpains,whenearthhathnoughtbeside

toanswertheirsmallwants;

toviewthegracefuldeercometroopingby,

thenpause,andgaze,thenturntheyknownotwhy,

likebashfulyounkersinsociety;

tomarkthestructureofaplantortree;

andallfairthingsofearth,howfairtheybe!&c.&c.

ilovetoanticipatechargesofunoriginality:thefirstlineisalmost

shakspere's:—

"tohavemylovetobed&toarise."midsummernightsdream[iii.,i,174].

ithinkthereisasweetnessintheversificationnotunlikesomerhymesinthatexquisiteplay,andthelastlinebutthreeisyours:

"aneyethatmetthegaze,orturn'ditknewnotwhy."rosamund'sepistle.

ishallanticipateallmyplay,andhavenothingtoshewyou.anideaforleviathan:—

commentatorsonjobhavebeenpuzzledtofindoutameaningfor

leviathan,—'tisawhale,saysome;acrocodile,sayothers.inmy

simpleconjecture,leviathanisneithermorenorlessthanthelord

mayoroflondonforthetimebeing.

"rosamund"sellswellinlondon,maugrethenon-reviewalofit.

isincerelywishyoubetterhealth,&betterhealthtoedith,kindremembrancestoher.

c.lamb.

ifyoucometotownbyashwednesday[february6],youwillcertainlyseelloydhere—iexpecthimbythattime.

mysistermarywasneverinbetterhealthorspiritsthannow.

[writinginjune,1799,torobertlloyd,priscilla,hissister,says:"lambwouldnotithinkbyanymeansbeapersontotakeupyourabodewith.heistoomuchlikeyourself—hewouldencouragethosefeelingswhichitcertainlyisyourdutytosuppress.yourstationinlife—thedutieswhicharepointedoutbythatrankinsocietywhichyouaredestinedtofill—differwidelyfromhis."whennextwehearofrobertlloydhehasreturnedtobirmingham,wherehisfathersoonafterwardsboughthimapartnershipinabooksellingandprintingbusiness.

"col.despard."ihavenotfoundtheverses.coloneledwardmarcusdespard,afteracareerthatbeganbrilliantly,wasimprisonedinthespringof1798andexecutedforhightreasonin1803.

therhymedpassagefromjohnwoodvilisthatwhichisbestknown.hazlittrelatesthatgodwinwassotakenwithitwhenhefirstreaditthatheaskedeveryonehemettotellhimtheauthorandplay,andatlastappliedtolambhimself.]