LETTER229 - The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 5 - Charles Lamb - 其他小说 - 30读书

LETTER229

letter229

charleslambtowilliamwordsworth

[datedatend:april9,1816.]

dearwordsworth—thanksforthebooksyouhavegivenmeandforallthebooksyoumeantogiveme.iwillbindupthepoliticalsonnetsandodeaccordingtoyourestion.ihavenotboundthepoemsyet.iwaittillpeoplehavedoneborrowingthem.ithinkishallgetachain,andchainthemtomyshelvesmorebodleiano,andpeoplemaycomeandreadthematchain'slength.forofthosewhoborrow,somereadslow,somemeantoreadbutdon'tread,andsomeneitherreadnormeanttoread,butborrowtoleaveyouanopinionoftheirsagacity.imustdomymoney-borrowingfriendsthejusticetosaythatthereisnothingofthiscapriceorwantonnessofalienationinthem.whentheyborrowmymoney,theyneverfailtomakeuseofit.coleridgehasbeenhereaboutafortnight.hishealthistolerableatpresent,thoughbesetwithtemptations.inthefirstplace,thecov.card.managerhasdeclinedacceptinghistragedy,tho'(havingreadit)iseenoreasonuponearthwhyitmightnothaverunaveryfairchance,tho'itcertainlywantsaprominentpartforamissoneiloramr.kean.howeverheisgoingtodaytowritetolordbyrontogetittodrury.shouldyouseemrs.c.,whohasjustwrittentoc.aletterwhichihavegivenhim,itwillbeaswelltosaynothingaboutitsfatetillsomeanswerisshapedfromdrury.hehastwovolumesprintingtogetheratbristol,bothfinishedasfarasthecompositiongoes;thelattercontaininghisfugitivepoems,theformerhisliterarylife.nature,whoconductseverycreaturebyinstincttoitsbestend,hasskilfullydirectedc.totakeuphisabodeatachemist'slaboratoryinnorfolkstreet.shemightaswellhavesentahelluolibrorumforcuretothevatican.godkeephiminviolateamongthetrapsandpitfalls.hehasdoneprettywellasyet.

tellmissh.mysisteriseverydaywishingtobequietlysittingdowntoanswerherverykindletter,butwhilec.staysshecanhardlyfindaquiettime,godblesshim.

tellmrs.w.herpostscriptsarealwaysagreeable.theyaresolegibletoo.yourmanualgraphyisterrible,darkaslycophron."likelihood"forinstanceisthustypified[herelambmakesanillegiblescribble].

ishouldnotwonderiftheconstantmakingoutofsuchparagraphsisthecauseofthatweaknessinmrs.w.'seyesassheistenderlypleasedtoexpressit.dorothyihearhasmountedspectacles;soyouhavedeoculatedtwoofyourdearestrelationsinlife.well,godblessyouandcontinuetogiveyoupowertowritewithafingerofpoweruponourheartswhatyoufailtoimpressincorrespondinglucidnessuponouroutwardeyesight.

mary'slovetoall,sheisquitewell.

iamcall'dofftodothedepositsoncottonwool—butwhydoirelate

thistoyouwhowantfacultiestocomprehendthegreatmysteryof

deposits,ofinterest,ofwarehouserent,andcontingentfund—adieu.c.

lamb.

alongerletterwhenc.isgonebackintothecountry,relatinghisess,&c.—myjudgmentofyournewbooks&c.&c.—iamscarcequietenoughwhilehestays.

yoursagain

c.l.

tuesday9apr.1816.

[wordsworthhadsentlamb,presumablyinproof(seenextletter),thanksgivingode,18jan.1816,withothershortpieceschieflyreferringtorecentevents,1816—thesubjectoftheodebeingthepeacethathadcomeuponeuropewiththedownfallofnapoleon.itfollowsinthecollectedworksthesonnetstoliberty.

"morebodleiano."accordingtomacray'sannalsofthebodleianlibrary(secondedition,1890,page121),booksseemtohavebeenchainedinthebodleianlibraryupto1751.theprocessofremovingthechainsseemstohavebegunin1757.in1761asmanyas1,448bookswereunchainedatacostofa½d.apiece.adozenyearslaterdiscardedchainsweresoldattherateof2d.foralongchain,1½d.forashortone,andifonehankeredafterahundred-weightofthem,thewishcouldbegratifiedonpaymentof14s.manyloosechainsarestillpreservedinthelibraryasrelics.

"forofthosewhoborrow."lamb'seliaessay,"thetworacesofmen,"mayhavehaditsgerminthispassage.

coleridgecametolondonfromcalneinmarchbringingwithhimthemanuscriptof"zapolya."hehadalreadyhadcorrespondencewithlordbyronconcerningatragedyfordrurylane,onwhosecommitteebyronhadaseat,buthehaddonenothingtowardswritingit."zapolya"wasneveracted.itwaspublishedin1817.coleridge'slodgingswereat43norfolkstreet,strand.seenextletterforfurthernewsofcoleridgeatthistime.]