LETTER33

letter33

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

[nodate.earlysummer,1798.]

thesesquaedamtheologicae

1.whethergodlovesalyingangelbetterthanatrueman?

2.whetherthearchangelurielcouldaffirmanuntruth?andifhecouldwhetherhewould?

3.whetherhonestybeanangelicvirtue?ornotrathertobereckonedamongthosequalitieswhichtheschoolmenterm'virtutesminussplendidoeetterraeethominisparticipes'?

4.whetherthehigherorderofseraphimilluminatieversneer?

5.whetherpureintelligencescanlove?

6.whethertheseraphimardentesdonotmanifesttheirvirtuesbythewayofvisionandtheory?andwhetherpracticebenotasub-celestialandmerelyhumanvirtue?

7.whetherthevisionbeatificbeanythingmoreorlessthanaperpetualrepresentmenttoeachindividualangelofhisownpresentattainmentsandfuturecapabilities,somehowinthemannerofmortallooking-glasses,reflectingaperpetualcomplacencyandself-satisfaction?

8andlast.whetheranimmortalandamenablesoulmaynotcometobedamnedatlast,andthemanneversuspectitbeforehand?

learnedsir,myfriend,

presumingonourlonghabitsoffriendshipandemboldenedfurtherbyyourlateliberalpermissiontoavailmyselfofyourcorrespondence,incaseiwantanyknowledge,(whichiintendtodowhenihavenoencyclopaediaorlady'smagazineathandtorefertoinanymatterofscience,)inowsubmittoyourenquiriestheabovetheologicalpropositions,tobebyyoudefended,oroppugned,orboth,intheschoolsofgermany,whitheriamtoldyouaredeparting,totheutterdissatisfactionofyournativedevonshireandregretofuniversalengland;buttomyownindividualconsolationifthro'thechannelofyourwishedreturn,learnedsir,myfriend,maybetransmittedtothisourisland,fromthosefamoustheologicalwitsofleipsicandgottingen,anyraysofillumination,invaintobederivedfromthehomegrowthofourenglishhallsandcolleges.finally,wishing,learnedsir,thatyoumayseeschillerandswinginawood(videpoems)andsituponatun,andeatfathamsofwestphalia,

iremain,

yourfriendanddocilepupiltoinstruct

charleslamb.

1798.

tos.t.coleridge.

[lamb'slastlettertocoleridgefortwoyears.seenotetothenextletter.

lamb'sreadingofthomasaquinasprobablywasatthebaseofhistheses.williamgodwin,inhis"historyofknowledge,learningandtasteingreatbritain,"whichhadrunthroughsomeyearsofthenewannualregister,cited,in1786,anumberofthemoregrotesquequeriesoftheoldschoolmen.mr.keganpaulestedthatlambwenttogodwinforhisexaminationpaper;butishouldthinkthisveryunlikely.someofthequestionshitcoleridgeveryhard.

thisletterwasfirstprintedbyjosephcottleinhisearlyrecollections,1837,withtheremark:"mr.coleridgegavemethisletter,saying,'theseyoungvisionarieswilldoeachothernogood.'"itmarksanepochinlamb'slife,sinceitbroughtabout,or,atanyrate,clinched,theonlyquarrelthateversubsistedbetweencoleridgeandhimself.

thestoryistoldincharleslambandthelloyds.briefly,lloydhadleftcoleridgeinthespringof1797;alittlelater,inastateofmuchperplexity,hehadcarriedhistroublestolamb,andtosouthey,betweenwhomandcoleridgenoverycordialfeelinghadexistedforsometime,ratherthantocoleridgehimself,hislatementor.thatprobablyfannedtheflame.thenextmovecamefromcoleridge.heprintedinthemonthlymagazinefornovember,1797,threesonnetssignednehemiahinbottom,burlesquinginstancesof"affectationofunaffectedness,"and"punypathos"inthepoemsofhimself,oflamb,andoflloyd,thehumourofwhichlambprobablydidnotmuchappreciate,sincehebelievedinthefeelingsexpressedinhisverse,whilelloydwascertainlyunfittedtoesteemit.coleridgeeffectedevenmorethanhehadcontemplated,forsoutheytookthesonnetuponsimplicityasanattackuponhimself,whichdidnot,however,preventhim,alittlelater,fromasimilarexerciseinponderoushumourunderthetoosimilarnameofabelshufflebottom.

inmarch,1798,whenaneweditionofcoleridge's1797poemswasincontemplation,lloydwrotetocottle,thepublisher,askingthathewouldpersuadecoleridgetoomithis(lloyd's)portion,arequestwhichcoleridgeprobablyresented,butwhichgavehimtheopportunityofreplyingthatnopersuasionwasneededfortheomissionofversespublishedattheearnestrequestoftheauthor.

meanwhileaworseoffencethanallagainstcoleridgewasperpetratedbylloyd.inthespringof1798waspublishedatbristolhisnovel,edmundoliver,dedicatedtolamb,inwhichcoleridge'sexperiencesinthearmy,underthealiasofsilastomkyncomberback,in1793-1794,andcertainofcoleridge'speculiarities,includinghisdrughabit,wereutilised.addedtothis,lloydseemstohaverepeatedbothtolambandsouthey,indistortedform,certainthingswhichcoleridgehadsaidofthem,eitherinconfidence,or,atanyrate,withnowishthattheyshouldberepeated;withtheresultthatlambactuallywentsofarastotakesideswithlloydagainsthisolderfriend.thefollowingextractsfromaletterfromcoleridgetolamb,whichiampermittedbymr.ernesthartleycoleridgetoprint,carriesthestoryalittlefarther:—

[springof1798.]

dearlamb,—lloydhasinformedmethroughmisswordsworththatyouintendnolongertocorrespondwithme.thishasgivenmelittlepain;notthatidonotloveandesteemyou,butonthecontrarybecauseiamconfidentthatyourintentionsarepure.youareperformingwhatyoudeemaduty,andhumanlyspeakinghavethatmeritwhichcanbederivedfromtheperformanceofapainfulduty.painful,foryouwouldnotwithoutlesabandonmeinbehalfofaman[lloyd]who,whollyignorantofallbutyourname,becameattachedtoyouinconsequenceofmyattachment,caughthisfrommyenthusiasm,andlearnedtoloveyouatmyfireside,whenoftenwhileihavebeensittingandtalkingofyoursorrowsandafflictionsihavestoppedmyconversationsandliftedupweteyesandprayedforyou.no!iamconfidentthatalthoughyoudonotthinkasawiseman,youfeelasagoodman.

fromyouihavereceivedlittlepain,becauseforyouisufferlittlealarm.icannotsaythisforyourfriend;itappearstomeevidentthathisfeelingsarevitiated,andthathisideasareintheircombinationmerelythecreaturesofthosefeelings.ihavereceivedlettersfromhim,andthebestandkindestwishwhich,asachristian,icanofferinreturnisthathemayfeelremorse….

wheniwrotetoyouthatmysonnettosimplicitywasnotcomposedwithreferencetosouthey,youansweredme(ibelievethesewerethewords):"itwasalietoogrossforthegrossestignorancetobelieve;"andiwasnotangrywithyou,becausetheassertionwhichthegrossestignorancewouldbelievealietheomniscientknewtobetruth.this,however,makesmecautiousnottoohastilytoaffirmthefalsehoodofanassertionoflloyd'sthatinedmundoliver'slove-fit,leavingcollege,andgoingintothearmyhehadnosortofallusiontoorrecollectionofmylove-fit,leavingcollege,andgoingintothearmy,andthatheneverthoughtofmypersoninthedescriptionofoliver'spersoninthefirstletterofthesecondvolume.thiscannotappearstrangertomethanmyassertiondidtoyou,andthereforeiwillsuspendmyabsolutefaith….

ihavebeenunfortunateinmyconnections.bothyouandlloydbecameacquaintedwithmewhenyourmindswerefarfrombeinginacomposedornaturalstate,andyouclothedmyimagewithasuitofnotionsandfeelingswhichcouldbelongtonothinghuman.youarerestoredtocomparativesaneness,andaremerelywonderingwhatisbecomeofthecoleridgewithwhomyouweresopassionatelyinlove;charleslloyd'smindhasonlychangedhisdisease,andheisnowarrayinghisci-devantangelinaflamingsanbenito—thewholegroundofthegarmentadarkbrimstoneandplentyoflittledevilsflourishedoutinblack.oh,me!lamb,"eveninlaughtertheheartissad!"…

godblessyou

s.t.coleridge.

oneotherpassage.inaletterfromlloydatbirminghamtocottle,datedjune,1798,lloydsays,inresponsetocottle'sestionthatheshouldvisitcoleridge,"ilovecoleridge,andcanforgetallthathashappened.atpresenticouldnotwellgotostowey….lambquittedmeyesterday,afterafortnight'svisit.ihavebeenmuchinterestedinhissociety.ineverknewhimsohappyinmylife.ishallwritetocoleridgeto-day."coleridgeleftforgermanyinseptember.

"schillerandswinginawood."anallusiontocoleridge'ssonnetto

schiller:—

ah!bardtremendousinsublimity!

couldibeholdtheeinthyloftiermood

wand'ringatevewithfinely-frenziedeye

beneathsomevastoldtempest-swingingwood!

hereshouldperhapscomelamb'sfirstlettertorobertlloyd,notavailableforthisedition,butprintedbycanonainger,andincharleslambandthelloyds,whereitisdatedoctober.lamb'sfirstletterisoneofadvice,apparentlyinreplytosomecomplaintsofhispositionaddressedtohimbylloyd.asecondandlongerletterwhich,thoughbelongingtoaugust,1798,maybementionedhere,alsocounsels,commendingtheuseofpatienceandhumility.lambishereseeninthecharacterofaspiritualadviser.theletterisuniqueinhiscorrespondence.

robertlloydwasayoungerbrotherofcharleslloyd,andlambhadprobablymethimwhenonhisvisittobirminghaminthesummer.theboy,thennotquitetwenty,wasapprenticedtoaquakerdraperatsaffronwaldeninessex.]