LETTER263A

letter263a

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

[nodate.?autumn,1820.]

dearc.,—whywillyoumakeyourvisits,whichshouldgivepleasure,matterofregrettoyourfriends?younevercomebutyoutakeawaysomefoliothatispartofmyexistence.withagreatdealofdifficultyiwasmadetocomprehendtheextentofmyloss.mymaidbeckybroughtmeadirtybitofpaper,whichcontainedherdescriptionofsomebookwhichmr.coleridgehadtakenaway.itwas"luster'stables,"which,forsometime,icouldnotmakeout."what!hashecarriedawayanyofthetables,becky?""no,itwasn'tanytables,butitwasabookthathecalledluster'stables."iwasobligedtosearchpersonallyamongmyshelves,andahugefissuresuddenlydisclosedtomethetruenatureofthedamageihadsustained.thatbook,c.,youshouldnothavetakenaway,foritisnotmine;itisthepropertyofafriend,whodoesnotknowitsvalue,norindeedhaveibeenverysedulousinexplainingtohimtheestimateofit;butwasrathercontentedingivingasortofcorroborationtoahintthatheletfall,astoitsbeingsuspectedtobenotgenuine,sothatinallprobabilityitwouldhavefallentomeasadeodand;notbutiamassureitisluther'sasiamsurethatjackbunyanwrotethe"pilgrim'sprogress;"butitwasnotformetopronounceuponthevalidityoftestimonythathadbeendisputedbylearnederclerksthani.soiquietlyletitoccupytheplaceithadusurpeduponmyshelves,andshouldneverhavethoughtofissuinganejectmentagainstit;forwhyshouldibesobigotedastoallowritesofhospitalitytononebutmyownbooks,children,&c.?—aspeciesofegotismiabhorfrommyheart.no;let'emallsnugtogether,hebrewsandproselytesofthegate;noselfishpartialityofmineshallmakedistinctionbetweenthem;ichargenowarehouse-roomformyfriends'commodities;theyarewelcometocomeandstayaslongastheylike,withoutpayingrent.ihaveseveralsuchstrangersthatitreatwithmorethanarabiancourtesy;there'sacopyofmore'sfinepoem,whichisnoneofmine;buticherishitasmyown;iamnoneofthosechurlishlandlordsthatadvertisethegoodstobetakenawayintendays'time,orthentobesoldtopayexpenses.soyouseeihadnorighttolendyouthatbook;imaylendyoumyownbooks,becauseitisatmyownhazard,butitisnothonesttohazardafriend'sproperty;ialwaysmakethatdistinction.ihopeyouwillbringitwithyou,orsenditbyhartley;orhecanbringthat,andyouthe"polemicaldiscourses,"andcomeandeatsomeatoningmuttonwithusoneofthesedaysshortly.weareengagedtwoorthreesundaysdeep,butalwaysdineathomeonweek-daysathalf-pastfour.socomeallfour—menandbooksimean—mythirdshelf(northerncompartment)fromthetophastwodevilishgaps,whereyouhaveknockedoutitstwoeye-teeth.

yourwrongedfriend,

c.lamb.

[thisletterisusuallydated1824,butithinkitwaswrittenearlier.foronereason,hartleycoleridgewasnotinlondoninthatyear,andforanother,thereareseveralphrasesintheeliaessay"tworacesofmen"(printedinthelondonmagazine,december,1820)thataresosimilartosomeinthisletterthatiimaginethelettertohaveestedthesubjectoftheessay,thecompositionofwhichimmediatelyfollowedit.thus,intheessayweread:—

"thatfoulgapinthebottomshelffacingyou,likeagreateye-toothknockedout—(youarenowwithmeinmylittlebackstudyinbloomsbury,reader!)—withthehugeswitzer-liketomesoneachside(liketheguildhallgiants,intheirreformedposture,guardantofnothing)onceheldthetallestofmyfolios,operabonaventurae,choiceandmassydivinity,towhichitstwosupporters(schooldivinityalso,butofalessercalibre,—bellarmine,andholythomas),showedbutasdwarfs,—itselfanascapart!—thatcomberbatchabstracteduponthefaithofatheoryheholds,whichismoreeasy,iconfess,formetosurferbythantorefute,namely,that'thetitletopropertyinabook(mybonaventure,forinstance)isinexactratiototheclaimant'spowersofunderstandingandappreciatingthesame.'shouldhegoonactinguponthistheory,whichofourshelvesissafe?"

"luster'stables"—luther'stabletalk.

"more'sfinepoem."thepsychozoiaplatonica,1642,ofhenrymore,theplatonist.lambseemstohavereturnedthebook,foritwasnotamonghisbooksthatheleft.luther'stabletalkseemsalsotohavebeengivenup.]