LETTER36

letter36

charleslambtorobertsouthey

[october29,1798.]

dearsouthey,—ithankyouheartilyfortheeclogue;itpleasesmemightily,beingsofullofpicture-workandcircumstances.ifindnofaultinit,unlessperhapsthatjoanna'sruinisacatastrophetootrite:andthisisnotthefirstorsecondtimeyouhaveclothedyourindignation,inverse,inataleofruinedinnocence.theoldlady,spinninginthesun,ihopewouldnotdisdaintoclaimsomekindredwitholdmargaret.icouldalmostwishyoutovarysomecircumstancesintheconclusion.agentlemanseducerhassooftenbeendescribedinproseandverse;whatifyouhadaccomplishedjoanna'sruinbytheclumsyartsandrusticgiftsofsomecountry-fellow?iamthinking,ibelieve,ofthesong,

"anoldwomanclothedingrey,

whosedaughterwascharmingandyoung,

andshewasdeludedaway

byroger'sfalsenatteringtongue."

aroger-lothariowouldbeanovelcharacter:ithinkyoumightpainthimverywell.youmaythinkthisaverysillyestion,andso,indeed,itis;but,ingoodtruth,nothingelsebutthefirstwordsofthatfoolishballadputmeuponscribblingmy"rosamund."butithankyouheartilyforthepoem.nothavinganythingofmyowntosendyouinreturn—though,totelltruth,iamatworkuponsomething,whichifiweretocutawayandgarble,perhapsimightsendyouanextractortwothatmightnotdispleaseyou;butiwillnotdothat;andwhetheritwillcometoanything,iknownot,foriamasslowasaflemingpainterwhenicomposeanything.iwillcraveleavetoputdownafewlinesofoldchristophermarlow's;itakethemfromhistragedy,"thejewofmalta."thejewisafamouscharacter,quiteoutofnature;but,whenweconsidertheterribleideaoursimpleancestorshadofajew,notmoretobediscommendedforacertaindiscolouring(ithinkaddisoncallsit)thanthewitchesandfairiesofmarlow'smightyessor.thesceneisbetwixtbarabas,thejew,andithamora,aturkishcaptiveexposedtosaleforaslave.

barabas(apreciousrascal.)

"asformyself,iwalkabroada-nights,

andkillsickpeoplegroaningunderwalls:

sometimesigoabout,andpoisonwells;

andnowandthen,tocherishchristianthieves,

iamcontenttolosesomeofmycrowns,

thatimay,walkinginmygallery,

see'mgopinionedalongbymydoor.

beingyoung,istudiedphysic,andbegan

topractisefirstupontheitalian:

thereienrichedthepriestswithburials,

andalwayskeptthesexton'sarmsinure

withinggravesandringingdeadmen'sknells;

and,afterthat,wasianengineer,

andinthewars'twixtfranceandgermany,

underpretenceofserving[helping]charlesthefifth,

slewfriendandenemywithmystratagems.

thenafterthatwasianusurer,

andwithextorting,cozening,forfeiting,

andtricksbelonginguntobrokery,

ifill'dthejailswithbankruptsinayear,

andwithyoungorphansplantedhospitals,

andeverymoonmadesomeorothermad;

andnowandthenonehang'dhimselfforgrief,

pinninguponhisbreastalonggreatscroll.

howiwithinteresttormentedhim."

nowhearithamore,theothergentlenature,explainhowhespenthistime:—

ithamore(acomicaldog.)

"faith,master,insettingchristianvillagesonfire,

chainingofeunuchs,bindinggalley-slaves.

onetimeiwasanhostlerat[in]aninn,

andinthenight-timesecretlywouldisteal

totravellers'chambers,andtherecuttheirthroats.

onceatjerusalem,wherethepilgrimskneel'd,

istrowedpowderonthemarblestones,

andtherewithaltheirkneeswouldrankleso,

thatihavelaugh'da-goodtoseethecripples

golimpinghometochristendomonstilts."

barabas

"why,thisissomething"—

thereisamixtureoftheludicrousandtheterribleintheselines,brimfulofgeniusandantiqueinvention,thatatfirstremindedmeofyourolddescriptionofcrueltyinhell,whichwasinthetruehogarthianstyle.ineednottellyouthatmarlowwasauthorofthatprettymadrigal,"comelivewithme,andbemylove,"andofthetragedyof"edwardii.,"inwhicharecertainlinesunequalledinourenglishtongue.honestwaltonmentionsthesaidmadrigalunderthedenominationof"certainsmoothversesmadelongsincebykitmarlow."