LETTER206

letter206

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

13august,1814.

dearresuscitate,—therecomestoyoubythevehiclefromladlanethisdayavolumeofgerman;whatitisicannotjustlysay,thecharactersofthosenorthernnationshavingbeenalwayssingularlyharshandunpleasanttome.itisacontributionofdr.southeytowardsyourwants,andyouwouldhavehaditsoonerbutforanoddaccident.iwroteforitthreedaysago,andthedr.,ashethought,sentitme.abookoflikeexteriorhedidsend,butbeingdisclosed,howfarunlike.itwasthewell-bredscholar,—abookwithwhichitseemsthedr.laudablyfillsupthosehourswhichhecanstealfromhismedicalavocations.chesterfield,blair,beattie,portionsfrom"thelifeofsavage,"makeupaprettyishsystemofmoralityandthebelleslettres,whichmr.mylne,aschoolmaster,hasproperlybroughttogether,andcallsthecollectionbythedenominationabovementioned.thedoctorhadnosoonerdiscoveredhiserrorthanhedespatchedmanandhorsetorectifythemistake,andwithaprettykindofingenuousmodestyinhisnoteseemethtodenyanyknowledgeofthewell-bredscholar;falsemodestysurelyandablushmisplaced;for,whatmorepleasingthantheconsiderationofprofessionalausteritythusrelaxing,thusimproving;butso,whenachildirememberblushing,beingcaughtonmykneestomymaker,ordoingotherwisesomepiousandpraiseworthyaction;nowiratherlovesuchthingstobeseen.henrycrabbrobinsonisoutuponhiscircuit,andhisbooksareessiblewithouthisleaveandkey.heisattendingthemidlandcircuit,—ashortterm,buttohim,astomanyyounglawyers,alongvacationsufficientlydreary.ithoughticoulddonobetterthantransmittohim,notextracts,butyourveryletteritself,thanwhichithinkineverreadanythingmoremoving,morepathetic,ormoreconducivetothepurposeofpersuasion.thecrabisasourcrabifitdoesnotsweetenhim.ithinkitwoulddrawanotherthirdvolumeofdodsleyoutofme;butyousayyoudon'twantanyenglishbooks?perhaps,afterall,that'saswell;one'sromanticcredulityisforevermisleadingoneintomisplacedactsoffoolery.crabmighthaveansweredbythistime:hisjuicestakealongtimesupplying,butthey'llrunatlast,—iknowtheywill,—puregoldenpippin.hisaddressisatt.robinson's,bury,andifoncircuit,tobeforwardedimmediately—suchmyperemptorysuperscription.afearfulrumourhassincereachedmethatthecrabisontheeveofsettingoutforfrance.ifheisinengland,yourletterwillreachhim,andiflattermyselfatouchofthepersuasiveofmyown,whichaccompaniesit,willnotbethrownaway;ifitbe,heisasloe,andnotrue-heartedcrab,andthere'sanend.forthatlifeofthegermanconjurorwhichyouspeakof,"colerusdevitâdoctorisvix-intelligibilis,"iperfectlyrememberthelasteveningwespentwithmrs.morganandmissbrent,inlondon-street,—(bythattokenwehadrawrabbitsforsupper,andmissbrentprevaileduponmetotakeaglassofbrandyandwateraftersupper,whichisnotmyhabit,)—iperfectlyrememberreadingportionsofthatlifeintheirparlour,andithinkitmustbeamongtheirpackages.itwastheverylasteveningwewereatthathouse.whatisgoneofthatfrank-heartedcircle,morganandhiscos-lettuces?heatewalnutsbetterthananymanieverknew.friendshipsinthesepartsstagnate.

onepieceofnewsiknowwillgiveyoupleasure—rickmanismadeaclerktothehouseofcommons,£2000ayearwithgreaterexpectat'us—butthatisnotthenews—butitisthatpoorcard-playingphillips,thathasfelthimselfforsomanyyearstheoutcastoffortune,whichfeelingpervadedhisveryintellect,tillitmadethedestinyitfeared,witheringhishopesinthegreatandlittlegamesoflife—byfavorofthesinglestarthatevershoneuponhimsincehisbirth,hasstrangelysteptintorickman'ssecretaryship—sword,bag,houseandall—fromahopeless£100ayeareatenupbeforehandwithdesperatedebts,toaclear£400or£500—italmostreconcilesmetothebeliefofamoralgovernmentoftheworld—themanstaresandgapesandseemstobealwayswonderingatwhathasbefalnhim—hetriestobeeageratcribbage,butalas!thesourceofthatinterestisdriedupforever,henolongerplaysforhisnextday'smeal,ortodeterminewhetherheshallhaveahalfdinnerorawholedinner,whetherheshallbuyapairofblacksilkstockings,orwaxhisoldonesaweekortwolonger,thepoorman'srelishofatrump,thefourhonors,isgone—andidonotknowwhetherifwecouldgetatthebottomofthingswhetherpoorstar-doomedphillipswithhishairstaringwithdespairwasnotahappierbeingthanthesleekwellcombedoily-patedsecretarythathaseeded.thegiftis,however,edwithonestipulation,thatthesecretaryistoremainasingleman.hereismellrickman.thusaregoneatonceallphillips'matrimonialdreams.thoseverseswhichhewrotehimself,andthosewhichasuperiorpen(withmodestyletmespeakasinamenonames)enditedforhimtoelisa,amelia&c.—forphillipswasawife-hunting,probablyfromthecircumstanceofhishavingformedanextremerashconnectioninearlylifewhichpavedthewaytoallhisaftermisfortunes,butthereisanobstinacyinhumannaturewhichsuchaccidentsonlyservetowhetontotryagain.pleasurethusattwoentrancesquiteshutout—ihardlyknowhowtodetermineofphillips'sresultofhappiness.heappearssatisfyd,butneverthoseburstsofgaiety,thosemoment-rulesfromthecaveofdespondency,thatusedtomakehisfaceshineandshewthelineswhichcarehadmarkedinit.iwouldbetanevenwagerhemarriessecretly,thespeakerfindsitout,andheisrevertedtohisoldlibertyandahundredpoundsayear—thesearebutspeculations—icanthinkofnoothernews.iamgoingtoeatturbot,turtle,venison,marrowpudding—coldpunch,claret,madeira,—atourannualfeastathalf-pastfourthisday.maryhasorderedthebolttomybedroomdoorinsidetobetakenoff,andapracticablelatchtobeputon,thatimaynotbarmyselfinandbesuffocatedbymyneckcloth,sowehavetakenallprecautions,threewatchmenareengagedtocarrythebodyup-stairs—prayforme.theykeepbotheringme,(i'matoffice,)andmyideasareconfused.letmeknowificanbeofanyserviceastobooks.godforbidthearchitectoniconshouldbesacrificedtoafoolishscrupleofsomebook-proprietor,asifbooksdidnotbelongwiththehighestproprietytothosethatunderstand'embest.

c.lamb.

[sincelamb'slastlettertohim(october30,1809)coleridgehaddoneverylittle.thefriendhadbeengivenup;hehadmadehislondonhomewiththemorgans;haddeliveredthepicturesonshakespeareandcontributedtothecourier;"remorse"hadbeenproducedwithlamb'sprologue,january23,1813;thequarrelwithwordsworthhadbeentosomeextenthealed;hehadsoldhisgermanbooks;andtheopium-habitwasgrowingonhim.hewasnowatbristol,livingwithjosephwade,andmeditatingagreatworkonchristianitywhichcottlewastoprint,andwhichultimatelybecamethebiographialiteraria.

theterm"resuscitate"mayrefertooneofcoleridge'sfrequentthreatsofdying.

dr.henryherbertsouthey(1783-1865)wasbrotherofthepoet.hehadjustsettledinlondon.

"mylne"waswilliammilns,authorofthewell-bredscholar,1794.

crabbrobinsondoesnotmentioncoleridge'sletter,normakeanyreferencetoit,inhisdiary.hewenttofranceinaugustaftercircuit.itwasatthistime(august23)thatcoleridgewrotetojohnmurrayconcerningatranslationofgoethe'sfaust,whichmurraycontemplated(seeletters,e.h.coleridge,page624).theestionthatcoleridgeshouldtranslatefaustformurraycameviâcrabbrobinsonviâlamb.

the"lifeofthegermanconjuror."therewereseveralcolerus'.john

colerusofamsterdamwrotealifeofspinoza.lambmayhavemeantthis,

johncolerusofberlininventedaperpetualcalendarandjohnjacob

colerusexaminedplatonicdoctrine.therearestillothers.

themorganshadmovedtoashley,nearbox.missbrentwasmrs.morgan'ssister.

"ourannualfeast"—theannualdinneroftheindiahouseclerks.

"thearchitectonicon."lambreferspossiblytosomegreatprojectedworkofcoleridge's.thetermisappliedtometaphysicians.possiblygoetheisreferredto.]