LETTER38

letter38

charleslambtorobertsouthey

nov.8th,1798.

idonotknowthatimuchpreferthiseclogue[lambhasreceived'thelastoftheflock']tothelast['thewedding'];bothareinferiortotheformer['theruinedcottage'].

"andwhenhecametoshakemebythehand,

andspakeaskindlytomeasheused,

ihardlyknewhisvoice—"

istheonlypassagethataffectedme.

servantsspeak,andtheirlanguageoughttobeplain,andnotmuchraisedabovethecommon,elseishouldfindfaultwiththebathosofthispassage:

"andwheniheardthebellstrikeout,

ithought(what?)thatihadneverheardittoll

sodismallybefore."

ilikethedestructionofthemartens'oldnestshugely,havingjustsuchacircumstanceinmymemory.ishouldbeverygladtoseeyourremainingeclogue,ifnottoomuchtrouble,asyougivemereasontoexpectitwillbethesecondbest.

iperfectlyaccordwithyouropinionofoldwither.quarlesisawittierwriter,butwitherlaysmoreholdoftheheart.quarlesthinksofhisaudiencewhenhelectures;withersoliloquisesincompanywithafullheart.whatwretchedstuffarethe"divinefancies"ofquarles!religionappearstohimnolongervaluablethanitfurnishesmatterforquibblesandriddles;heturnsgod'sgraceintowantonness.witherislikeanoldfriend,whosewarm-heartednessandestimablequalitiesmakeuswishhepossessedmoregenius,butatthesametimemakeuswillingtodispensewiththatwant.ialwayslovew.,andsometimesadmireq.stillthatportraitpoemisafineone;andtheextractfrom"theshepherds'hunting"placeshiminastarryheightfarabovequarles.ifyouwrotethatreviewin"crit.rev.,"iamsorryyouaresosparingofpraisetothe"ancientmarinere;"—sofarfromcallingit,asyoudo,withsomewit,butmoreseverity,"adutchattempt,"&c.,icallitarightenglishattempt,andaessfulone,todethronegermansublimity.youhaveselectedapassagefertileinunmeaningmiracles,buthavepassedbyfiftypassagesasmiraculousasthemiraclestheycelebrate.ineversodeeplyfeltthepatheticasinthatpart,

"aspringoflovegush'dfrommyheart,

andibless'dthemunaware—"

itstungmeintohighpleasurethroughsufferings.lloyddoesnotlikeit;hisheadistoometaphysical,andyourtastetoocorrect;atleastimustallegesomethingagainstyouboth,toexcusemyowndotage—

"solonely'twas,thatgodhimself

scarceseemedtheretobe!"—&c.,&c.

butyouallowsomeelaboratebeauties—youshouldhaveextracted'em."theancientmarinere"playsmoretrickswiththemindthanthatlastpoem,whichisyetoneofthefinestwritten.butiamgettingtoodogmatical;andbeforeidegenerateintoabuse,iwillconcludewithassuringyouthatiam

sincerelyyours,

c.lamb.

iamgoingtomeetlloydatwareonsaturday,toreturnonsunday.haveyouanycommandsorcommendationstothemetaphysician?ishallbeveryhappyifyouwilldineorspendanytimewithmeinyourwaythroughthegreatuglycity;butiknowyouhaveothertiesuponyouintheseparts.

loveandrespectstoedith,andfriendlyremembrancestocottle.

[lamb'sripejudgmentofwitherwillbefoundinhisessay"onthepoeticalworksofgeorgewither,"intheworks,1818(seevol.i.ofthisedition)."theportraitpoem"wouldbe"theauthor'smeditationuponsightofhispicture,"prefixedtoemblems,1635.

lyricalballads,bywordsworthandcoleridge,hadjustbeenpublishedbycottle."theancientmariner"stoodfirst."thatlastpoem"waswordsworth's"lineswrittenafewmilesabovetinternabbey."southey(?)reviewedthebookinthecriticalreviewforoctober,1798.ofthe"ancientmariner"hesaid:"itisadutchattemptatgermansublimity.geniushasherebeenemployedinproducingapoemoflittlemerit."

hereshouldcomealetterfromlambtorobertlloyd,datednovember13,1798,notavailableforthisedition.robertlloydseemstohavesaidinhislastletterthattheworldwasdrainedofallitssweets.lambsendshimabeautifulpassageinpraiseoftheworld'sgoodthings—thefirstforetasteinthecorrespondenceofhislaterecstaticmanner.

herealsoshouldcomealetterfromlambtosouthey,whichapparentlydoesnotnowexist,containing"thedyinglover,"anextractfromlamb'splay.ihavetakenthetextfromtheversionoftheplaysenttomanninglatein1800.

thedyinglover

margaret.…iknewayouthwhodied

forgrief,becausehisloveprovedso,

andmarriedtoanother.

isawhimontheweddingday,

forhewaspresentinthechurchthatday,

andinhisbestappareltoo,

asonethatcametogracetheceremony.

imark'dhimwhentheringwasgiven,

hiscountenanceneverchanged;

andwhenthepriestpronouncedthemarriageblessing,

heputasilentprayerupforthebride,

fortheystoodnearwhosawhislipsmove.

hecameinvitedtothemarriage-feast

withthebride'sfriends,

andwasthemerriestofthemallthatday;

butthey,whoknewhimbest,call'ditfeign'dmirth;

andotherssaid,

heworeasmilelikedeath'suponhisface.

hispresencedash'dallthebeholders'mirth,

andhewentawayintears.

simon.whatfollowedthen?