LETTER40

letter40

charleslambtorobertsouthey

nov.28th,1798.

icanhavenoobjectiontoyourprinting"mysteryofgod"withmynameandalldueacknowledgmentsforthehonourandfavourofthecommunication;indeed,'tisapoemthatcandishonournoname.now,thatisinthetruestrainofmodernmodesto-vanitas…butforthesonnet,iheartilywishit,asithoughtitwas,deadandforgotten.iftheexactcircumstancesunderwhichiwrotecouldbeknownortold,itwouldbeaninterestingsonnet;buttoanindifferentandstrangerreaderitmustappearaverybaldthing,certainlyinadmissibleinacompilation.iwishyoucouldaffixadifferentnametothevolume;thereisacontemptiblebook,awretchedassortmentofvapidfeelings,entitled"pratt'sgleanings,"whichhathdamnedandimpropriatedthetitleforever.praythinkofsomeother.thegentlemanisbetterknown(betterhadheremainedunknown)byanodetobenevolence,writtenandspokenforandattheannualdinnerofthehumanesociety,whowalkinprocessiononcea-year,withalltheobjectsoftheircharitybeforethem,toreturngodthanksforgivingthemsuchbenevolenthearts.

ilike"bishopbruno;"butnotsoabundantlyasyour"witchballad,"whichisanexquisitethingofitskind.

ishowedmy"witch"and"dyinglover"todyerlastnight;butgeorgecouldnotcomprehendhowthatcouldbepoetrywhichdidnotgoupontenfeet,asgeorgeandhispredecessorshadtaughtittodo;sogeorgereadmesomelecturesonthedistinguishingqualitiesoftheode,theepigram,andtheepic,andwenthometoillustratehisdoctrinebycorrectingaproofsheetofhisownlyrics.georgewritesodeswheretherhymes,likefashionablemanandwife,keepacomfortabledistanceofsixoreightlinesapart,andcallsthat"observingthelawsofverse."georgetellsyou,beforeherecites,thatyoumustlistenwithgreatattention,oryou'llmisstherhymes.ididso,andfoundthemprettyexact.george,speakingofthedeadossian,exclaimeth,"darkarethepoet'seyes."ihumblyrepresentedtohimthathisowneyesweredark[?light],andmanyalivingbard'sbesides,andrecommended"clos'darethepoet'seyes."butthatwouldnotdo.ifoundtherewasanantithesisbetweenthedarknessofhiseyesandthesplendourofhisgenius;andiacquiesced.

yourrecipeforaturk'spoisonisinvaluableandtrulymarlowish….lloydobjectsto"shutting-upthewombofhispurse"inmycurse(whichforachristianwitchinachristiancountryisnottoomild,ihope);doyouobject?1thinkthereisastrangenessintheidea,aswellas"shakingthepoorlikesnakesfromhisdoor,"whichsuitsthespeaker.witchesillustrate,asfineladiesdo,fromtheirownfamiliarobjects,andsnakesandtheshuttingupofwombsareintheirway.idon'tknowthatthislastchargehasbeenbeforebroughtagainst'em,noreitherthesourmilkorthemandrakebabe;butiaffirmthesebethingsawitchwoulddoifshecould.

mytragedywillbeamedley(as[?and]iintendittobeamedley)oflaughterandtears,proseandverse,andinsomeplacesrhyme,songs,wit,pathos,humour,and,ifpossible,sublimity;atleast,itisnotafaultinmyintention,ifitdoesnotcomprehendmostofthesediscordantcolours.heavensendtheydancenotthe"danceofdeath!"ihearthatthetwonobleenglishmenhavepartednosoonerthantheysetfootongermanearth,butihavenotheardthereason—possibly,togivenovelistsanhandletoexclaim,"ahme!whatthingsareperfect?"ithinkishalladoptyouremendationinthe"dyinglover,"thoughidonotmyselffeeltheobjectionagainst"silentprayer."

mytailorhasbroughtmehomeanewcoatlapelled,withavelvetcollar.heassuresmeeverybodywearsvelvetcollarsnow.somearebornfashionable,someachievefashion,andothers,likeyourhumbleservant,havefashionthrustuponthem.theroguehasbeenmakinginroadshithertobymodestdegrees,foistinguponmeanadditionalbutton,recommendinggaiters;buttocomeuponmethusinafulltideofluxury,neitherbecomeshimasatailornortheninthofaman.mymeekgentlemanwasrobbedtheotherday,comingwithhiswifeandfamilyinaone-horseshayfromhampstead;thevillainsrifledhimoffourguineas,someshillingsandhalf-pence,andabundleofcustomers'measures,whichtheysworewerebank-notes.theydidnotshoothim,andwhentheyrodeoffheaddrestthemwithprofoundgratitude,makingacongee:"gentlemen,iwishyougoodnight,andweareverymuchobligedtoyouthatyouhavenotusedusill!"andthisisthecuckoothathashadtheaudacitytofoistuponmetenbuttonsonasideandablackvelvetcollar—adamn'dninthofascoundrel!

whenyouwritetolloyd,hewisheshisjacobincorrespondentstoaddresshimasmr.c.l.loveandrespectstoedith.ihopesheiswell.

yourssincerely,

c.lamb.

[thepoem"mysteryofgod"was,whenprintedintheannualanthologyfor1799,entitled"livingwithoutgodintheworld."lambneverreprintedit.itisnotcleartowhatsonnetlambrefers,possiblythattohissister,printedonpage78,whichhehimselfneverreprinted.itwasatthattimeintendedtocallsouthey'scollectiongleanings;lambreferstothegleaningsofsamueljacksonpratt(1749-1814),averybusymakerofbooks,publishedin1795-1799.histriumphofbenevolencewaspublishedin1786.

southey'switchballadwas"theoldwomanofberkeley."

georgedyer'sprincipalworksinversearecontainedinhispoems,1802,andpoetics,1812.heretainedtheepithet"dark"forossian'seyes.

southey'srecipeforaturk'spoisonidonotfind.itmayhaveexistedonlyinaletter.

areferencetothepoeminletter39willexplaintheremarksaboutwitches'curses.

thetwonobleenglishmen(asarcasticreferencedrawn,iimaginefrom

palamonandarcite)werecoleridgeandwordsworth,theningermany.

nothingdefiniteisknown,buttheyseemquiteamicablytohavedecided

totakeindependentcourses.

"lloyd'sjacobincorrespondents."thisislamb'sonlyallusiontotheattackwhichhadbeenmadebytheanti-jacobinuponhimself,lloydandtheirfriends,particularlycoleridgeandsouthey.in"thenewmorality,"inthelastnumberofcanning'spaper,theyhadbeenthusgrouped:—

andyefiveotherwanderingbardsthatmove

insweetaccordofharmonyandlove,

c——-dgeands—tb—y,l—d,andl—be&co.

tuneallyourmysticharpstopraiselepaux!

—lepauxbeingthehigh-priestoftheophilanthropy.when"thenewmorality"wasreprintedinthebeautiesof"theantijacobin"in1799,asavagefootnoteoncoleridgewasappended,accusinghimofhypocrisyandthedesertionofhiswifeandchildren,andadding"exunodiscehisassociatessoutheyandlamb."again,inthefirstnumberoftheanti-jacobinreviewandmagazine,august,1798,wasapicturebygilray,representingtheworshippersoflepaux,whereinlloydandlambappearedasatoadandafrogreadingtheirownblankverse,andcoleridgeandsouthey,asdonkeys,flourish"dactylics"and"saphics."inseptemberthefederatedpoetswereagaintoucheduponinaparodyofthe"odetothepassions":—

see!faithfultotheirmightydam,

c——dge,s—th—y,l—d,andl—b

insplay-footmadrigalsoflove,

softmoaninglikethewidow'ddove,

pour,side-by-side,theirsympatheticnotes;

ofequalrights,andcivicfeasts,

andtyrantkings,andknavishpriests,

swiftthroughthelandthetunefulmischieffloats.

andnowtosofterstrainstheystruckthelyre,

theysungthebeetleorthemole,

thedyingkid,orass'sfoal,

bycruelmanpermittedtoexpire.

lloydtookthecaricatureandtheverseswithhiscustomaryseriousness,goingsofarastoinditea"lettertotheanti-jacobinreviewers,"whichwasprintedinbirminghamin1799.thereinhedefendedlambwithsomevigour:"thepersonyouhavethusleaguedinapartnershipofinfamywithmeismr.charleslamb,amanwho,sofarfrombeingademocrat,wouldbethefirstpersontoassenttotheopinionscontainedintheforegoingpages:heisamantoomuchoccupiedwithrealandpainfulduties—dutiesofhighpersonalself-denial—totroublehimselfaboutspeculativematters."]