TheWorksofCharlesandMaryLamb—Volume5LETTER240

letter240

charleslambtojohnpaynecollier

thegardenofengland,

december10,1817.

dearj.p.c.,—iknowhowzealouslyyoufeelforourfriends.t.coleridge;andiknowthatyouandyourfamilyattendedhislecturesfourorfiveyearsago.heisinbadhealthandworsemind:andunlesssomethingisdonetolightenhismindhewillsoonbereducedtohisextremities;andeventhesearenotinthebestcondition.iamsurethatyouwilldoforhimwhatyoucan;butatpresentheseemsinamoodtodoforhimself.heprojectsanewcourse,notofphysic,norofmetaphysic,noranewcourseoflife,butanewcourseoflecturesonshakspearandpoetry.thereisnomanbetterqualified(alwaysexceptingnumberone);butiampre-engagedforaseriesofdissertationsonindiaandindia-pendence,tobecompletedattheexpenseofthecompany,iniknownot(yet)howmanyvolumesfoolscapfolio.iambusygettingupmyhindoomythology;andforthepurposeiamoncemoreenduringsouthey'scurse.tobeserious,coleridge'sstateandaffairsmakemeso;andthereareparticularreasonsjustnow,andhavebeenanytimeforthelasttwentyyears,whyheshouldeed.hewilldosowithalittleencouragement.ihavenotseenhimlately;andhedoesnotknowthatiamwriting.

yours(forcoleridge'ssake)inhaste,c.lamb.

[the"gardenofengland"oftheaddressstands,ofcourse,forcovent

garden.

thisisthefirstlettertocollierthathasbeenpreserved.johnpaynecollier(1789-1883),knownasashakespeariancriticandeditorofoldplaysandpoems,wasthenareporteronthetimes.hehadrecentlymarried.wordsworthalsowrotetocollieronthissubject,coleridge'slecturesweredeliveredin1818,beginningonjanuary27,inflower-de-lucecourt.theirpreservationweowetocollier'sshorthandnotes.

"myhindoomythology…southey'scurse"—thecurseofkehama.]