LETTER30

letter30

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

[p.m.august24,1797.]

poorcharleslloydcametomeaboutafortnightago.hetooktheopportunityofmr.hawkescomingtolondon,andithinkathisrequest,tocomewithhim.itseemedtome,andheacknowledgedit,thathehadcometogainalittletimeandalittlepeace,beforehemadeuphismind.hewasagooddealperplexedwhattodo—wishingearnestlythathehadneverenteredintoengagementswhichhefelthimselfunabletofulfill,butwhichonsophia'saccounthecouldnotbringhimselftorelinquish.icouldgivehimlittleadviceorcomfort,andfeelingmyowninabilitypainfully,eagerlysnatchedataproposalhemademetogotosouthey'swithhimforadayortwo.hethenmeanttoreturnwithme,whocouldstayonlyonenight.whilethere,heatonetimethoughtofgoingtoconsultyou,butchangedhisintentionandstayedbehindwithsouthey,andwroteanexplicitlettertosophia.icameawayonthetuesday,andonthesaturdayfollowing,lastsaturday,receiv'daletterdatedbath,inwhichhesaidhewasonhiswaytobirmingham,—thatsoutheywasaccompanyinghim,—andthathewentforthepurposeofpersuadingsophiatoascotchmarriage—igreatlyfeared,thatshewouldneverconsenttothis,fromwhatlloydhadtoldmeofhercharacter.butwaitedmostanxiouslytheresult.sincethenihavenothadoneletter.forgod'ssake,ifyougetanyintelligenceoforfromchaslloyd,communicateit,foriammuchalarmed.

c.lamb.

iwrotetoburnettwhatiwritenowtoyou,—wasitfromhimyouheard,orelsewhere?—

hesaidifhehadcometoyou,hecouldneverhavebroughthimselftoleaveyou.inallhisdistresshewassweetlyandexemplarilycalmandmasterofhimself,—andseemedperfectlyfreefromhisdisorder.—

howdoyouallat?

[thisletterisunimportant,exceptinshowinglamb'spowerofsharinghisfriends'troubles.charleslloydwasnotmarriedtosophiapemberton,ofbirmingham,until1799;nothingrashbeingdone,aslambseemstothinkpossible.thereferencetosouthey,whowasatthistimelivingatburton,inhampshire,throwssomelightondequincey'sstatement,inhis"autobiography,"thatowingtotheobjectionofmisspemberton'sparentstothematch,lloydsecuredtheassistanceofsoutheytocarrytheladyoff.

burnettwasgeorgeburnett(1776?-1811),oneofcoleridge'sfellow

pantisocratists,whomweshallmeetlater.

the"he"ofthesecondpostscriptisnotburnett,butlloyd.]