LETTER207

letter207

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

26thaugust,1814.

letthehungrysoulrejoice:thereiscorninegypt.whateverthouhastbeentoldtothecontrarybydesigningfriends,whoperhapsinquiredcarelessly,ordidnotinquireatall,inhopeofsavingtheirmoney,thereisastockof"remorse"onhand,enough,aspopleconjectures,forsevenyears'consumption;judgingfromexperienceofthelasttwoyears.methinksitmakesforthebenefitofsoundliterature,thatthebestbooksdonotalwaysgooffbest.inquireinsevenyears'timeforthe"rokebys"andthe"laras,"andwhereshalltheybefound?—flutteringfragmentallyinsomethread-paper—whereasthy"wallenstein"andthy"remorse"aresafeonlongman'sorpople'sshelves,asinsomebodleian;theretheyshallremain;noneedofachaintoholdthemfast—perhapsforages—tallcopies—andpeopleshan'trunabouthuntingforthemasinoldezra'sshrievaltytheydidforabible,almostwithouteffecttillthegreat-great-grand-niece(bythemother'sside)ofjeremiahorezekiel(whichwasit?)rememberedsomethingofabook,withoddreadinginit,thatusedtolieinthegreenclosetinherauntjudith'sbedchamber.

thycatererpricewasathamburghwhenlastpopleheardofhim,layingupforthee,likesomemiserlyoldfatherforhisgenerous-heartedsontosquander.

mr.charlesaders,whosebooksalsopantforthatfreecirculationwhichthycustodyissuretogivethem,istobeheardofathiskinsmen,messrs.jamesonandaders,no.7,laurence-pountney-lane,london,accordingtotheinformationwhichcrabiuswithhispartingbreathleftme.crabiusisgonetoparis.iprophesyheandtheparisianswillpartwithmutualcontempt.hisheadhasatwistalemagne,likethine,dearmystic.

ihavebeenreadingmadamestaelongermany.animpudentcleverwoman.butif"faust"benobetterthaninherabstractofit,icounseltheetoletitalone.howcanstthoutranslatethelanguageofcat-monkeys?fieonsuchfantasies!butiwillnotforgettolookforproclus.itisakindofbookwhichwhenonemeetswithitoneshutsthelidfasterthanoneopenedit.yetihavesomebastardkindofrecollectionthatsomewhere,sometimeago,uponsomestallorother,isawit.itwaseitherthatorplotinus,205-270a.d.,neoplatonist,orsaintaugustine's"cityofgod."solittledosomefolksvalue,whattoothers,sc.toyou,"wellused,"hadbeenthe"pledgeofimmortality."bishopbrunoinevertouchedupon.stuffingtoogoodforthebrainsofsuch"ahare"asthoudescribest.mayitbursthispericranium,asthegobbetsoffatandturpentine(anastythoughtoftheseer)didthatolddragonintheapocrypha!mayhegomadintryingtounderstandhisauthor!mayhelendthethirdvolumeofhimbeforehehasquitetranslatedthesecond,toafriendwhoshallloseit,andsospoilthepublication;andmayhisfriendfinditandsendithimjustasthouorsomesuchlessdilatoryspiritshallhaveannouncedthewholeforthepress;lastly,mayhebehuntedbyreviewers,andthedeviljughim!soithinkihaveansweredallthequestionsexceptaboutmorgan'scos-lettuces.thefirstpersonalpeculiarityieverobservedofhim(allworthysoulsaresubjectto'em)wasaparticularkindofrabbit-likedelightinmunchingsaladswithoilwithoutvinegarafterdinner—asteadycontemplativebrowsingonthem—didstnevertakenoteofit?canstthinkofanyotherqueriesinthesolutionofwhichicangivetheesatisfaction?doyouwantanybooksthaticanprocureforyou?oldjimmyboyerisdeadatlast.trollopehasgothisliving,worth£1000a-yearnet.see,thouard,thouheretic-ard,whatmightestthounothavearrivedat!laythyanimosityagainstjimmyinthegrave.donotentailitonthyposterity.

charleslamb.

[coleridge'splay"remorse"hadbeenpublishedbypoplein1813.acopyofthefirsteditionnowbringsaboutthirtyshillings;butthisislargelyowingtothepresenceinthevolumeoflamb'sprologue.butrokebyandlarabringtheirpoundstoo.

"thycatererprice."idonotidentify.

charlesadersweshallmeet.crabiuswas,ofcourse,crabbrobinson.

"such'ahare.'"juliuscharleshare(1795-1855),whoafterwardsknewcoleridge,wasthenatcambridge,afterlivingatweimar.ifindnorecordofhistranslatingbruno;butthispossiblywashe.

"jimmyboyer."therev.jamesboyer,headmasterofchrist'shospitalin

lambandcoleridge'sday,diedin1814.hisliving,therichestinthe

hospital'sgift,wasthatofcolneengaine,whichpassedtotherev.

arthurwilliamtrollope,headmasterofchrist'shospitaluntil1826.

boyerhadbeenaspartan,andcoleridgeandhehadhadpassages,butin

themaincoleridge'stestimonytohimisfavourableandkindly(see

lamb'schrist'shospitalessay,vol.ii.ofthisedition).]