LETTER147

letter147

marylambtosarahstoddart

[?feb.20,21and22,1806.]

mydearsarah,—ihaveheardthatcoleridgewaslatelygoingthroughsicilytoromewithaparty,butthat,beingunwell,hereturnedbacktonaples.wethinkthereissomemistakeinthisaccount,andthathisintendedjourneytoromewasinhisformerjaunttonaples.ifyouknowthatatthattimehehadanysuchintention,willyouwriteinstantly?foridonotknowwhetherioughttowritetomrs.coleridgeornot.

iamgoingtomakeasortofpromisetomyselfandtoyou,thatiwillwriteyoukindofjournal-likelettersofthedailywhat-we-domatters,astheyoccur.thisdayseemstomeakindofnewerainourtime.itisnotabirthday,noranew-year'sday,noraleave-off-smokingday;butitisaboutanhourafterthetimeofleavingyou,ourpoorphoenix,inthesalisburystage;andcharleshasjustleftmeforthefirsttimetogotohislodgings;andiamholdingasolitaryconsultationwithmyselfastothehowishallemploymyself.

writingplays,novels,poems,andallmannerofsuch-likevapouringandvapourishschemesarefloatinginmyhead,whichatthesametimeacheswiththethoughtofpartingfromyou,andisperplextattheideaofi-cannot-tell-what-aboutnotionthatihavenotmadeyouhalfsocomfortableasioughttohavedone,andamelancholysenseofthedullprospectyouhavebeforeyouonyourreturnhome.thenithinkiwillmakemynewgown;andnowiconsiderthewhitepetticoatwillbebettercandle-lightworth;andthenilookatthefire,andthink,iftheironswasbutdown,iwouldironmygowns—youhavingputmeoutofconceitofmangling.

somuchforanaccountofmyownconfusedhead;andnowforyours.returninghomefromtheinn,wetookthattopieces,andca[n]vassedyou,asyouknowisourusualcustom.weagreedweshouldmissyousadly,andthatyouhadbeen,whatyouyourselfdiscovered,notatallinourway;andalthough,ifthepostmastershouldhappentoopenthis,itwouldappeartohimtobenogreatcompliment,yetyou,whoentersowarmlyintotheinteriorofouraffairs,willunderstandandvalueit,aswellaswhatwelikewiseasserted,thatsinceyouhavebeenwithusyouhavedonebutonefoolishthing,videpinckhorn(excusemybadlatin,ifitshouldchancetomeanexactlycontrarytowhatiintend).wepraisedyoufortheveryfriendlywayinwhichyouregardedallourwhimsies,and,touseaphraseofcoleridge's,understoodus.wehad,inshort,nodrawbackonoureulogyonyourmerit,exceptlamentingthewantofrespectyouhavetoyourself—thewantofacertaindignityofaction,youknowwhatimean,which—thoughitonlybrokeoutintheacceptanceoftheoldjustice'sbook,andwas,asitwere,smotheredandalmostextinct,whileyouwerehere—yetissonativeafeelinginyourmind,thatyouwilldowhateverthepresentmomentpromptsyoutodo,thatiwishyouwouldtakethatoneslightoffenceseriouslytoheart,andmakeitapartofyourdailyconsiderationtodrivethisunluckypropensity,rootandbranch,outofyourcharacter.—then,mercyonus,whataperfectlittlegentlewomanyouwillbe!!!—

youarenotyetarrivedatthefirststageofyourjourney;yethaveithesenseofyourabsencesostronguponme,thatiwasreallythinkingwhatnewsihadtosendyou,andwhathadhappenedsinceyouhadleftus.trulynothing,exceptthatmartinburneymetusinlincoln's-inn-fields,andborrowedfour-pence,oftherepaymentofwhichsumiwillsendyouduenotice.

friday[feb.21,1806].—lastnightitoldcharlesofyourmatrimonialoverturesfrommr.white,andofthecauseofthatbusinessbeingatastand-still.yourgenerousconductinacquaintingmr.whitewiththevexatiousaffairatmaltahighlypleasedhim.heentirelyapprovesofit.youwouldbequitecomfortedtohearwhathesaidonthesubject.

hewishesyouess,and,whencoleridgecomes,willconsultwithhimaboutwhatisbesttobedone.butichargeyou,bemoststrictlycautioushowyouproceedyourself.donotgivemr.w.anyreasontothinkyouindiscreet;lethimreturnofhisownaccord,andkeeptheprobabilityofhisdoingsofullinyourmind;so,imean,astoregulateyourwholeconductbythatexpectation.donotallowyourselftosee,orinanywayrenewyouracquaintancewith,william,nordonotdoanyothersillythingofthatkind;for,youmaydependuponit,hewillbeakindofspyuponyou,and,ifheobservesnothingthathedisapprovesof,youwillcertainlyhearofhimagainintime.

charlesisgonetofinishthefarce,andiamtohearitreadthisnight.iamsouneasybetweenmyhopesandfearsofhowishalllikeit,thatidonotknowwhatiamdoing.ineednottellyouso,forbeforeisendthisishallbeabletotellyouallaboutit.ifithinkitwillamuseyou,iwillsendyouacopy.thebedwasverycoldlastnight.

feb.21[?22].ihavereceivedyourletter,andamhappytohearthatyourmotherhasbeensowellinyourabsence,whichiwishhadbeenprolongedalittle,foryouhavebeenwantedtocopyoutthefarce,inthewritingofwhichimademanyanunluckyblunder.

thesaidfarceicarried(aftermanyconsultationsofwhowasthemostproperpersontoperformsoimportantanoffice)towroughton,themanagerofdrurylane.hewasveryciviltome;saiditdidnotdependuponhimself,butthathewouldputitintotheproprietors'hands,andthatweshouldcertainlyhaveananswerfromthem.

ihavebeenunabletofinishthissheetbefore,forcharleshastakenaweek'sholidays[fromhis]lodging,toresthimselfafterhislabour,andwehavetalkedto-nightofnothingbutthefarcenightandday;butyesterday[icarri]edittowroughton;andsinceithasbeenoutofthe[way,our]mindshavebeenalittleeasier.iwishyouhad[beenwith]us,tohavegivenyouropinion.ihavehalfamindtosc[ribble]anothercopy,andsendityou.ilikeitverymuch,andcannothelphavinggreathopesofitsess.

iwouldsayiwasverysorryforthedeathofmr.white'sfather;butnotknowingthegoodoldgentleman,icannothelpbeingaswellsatisfiedthatheisgone—forhissonwillfeelratherlonely,andsoperhapshemaychancetovisitagainwinterslow.yousowelldescribeyourbrother'sgravelecturingletter,thatyoumakemeashamedofpartofmine.iwouldfainrewriteit,leavingoutmy'sageadvice;'butifibeginanotherletter,somethingmayfallouttopreventmefromfinishingit,—and,therefore,skipoveritaswellasyoucan;itshallbethelastieversendyou.

itiswellenough,whenoneistalkingtoafriend,tohedgeinanoddwordbywayofcounselnowandthen;butthereissomethingmightyirksomeinitsstaringupononeinaletter,whereoneoughtonlytoseekindwordsandfriendlyremembrances.

ihaveheardavaguereportfromthedawes(thepleasant-lookingyoungladywecalleduponwasmissdaw),thatcoleridgereturnedbacktonaples:theyaretomakefurtherenquiries,andletmeknowtheparticulars.wehaveseenlittleornothingofmanningsinceyouwent.yourfriend[george]burnettcallsasusual,forcharlestopointoutsomethingforhim.imissyousadly,andbutforthefidgetihavebeeninaboutthefarce,ishouldhavemissedyoustillmore.iamsorryyoucannotgetyourmoney.continuetotellusallyourperplexities,anddonotmindbeingcalledwidowblackacre.

sayallinyourmindaboutyourlover,nowcharlesknowsofit;hewillbeasanxioustohearasme.allthetimewecansparefromtalkingofthecharactersandplotofthefarce,wetalkofyou.ihavegotafreshbottleofbrandyto-day:ifyouwerehere,youshouldhaveaglass,threepartsbrandy—soyoushould.iboughtapoundofbaconto-day,notsogoodasyours.iwishthelittlecapswerefinished.iamgladthemedicinesandthecordialsborethefatigueoftheirjourneysowell.ipromiseyouiwillwriteoften,andnotmindthepostage.godblessyou.charlesdoesnotsendhislove,becauseheisnothere.

yoursaffectionately,

m.lamb.

writeasoftenaseveryoucan.donotworktoohard.

[mr.hazlittdatesthisletterapril,thinkingthatmarylamb'spenslippedwhenshewrotefebruary21half-waythrough.butithinkfebruarymustberight;because(1)missstoddarthasonlyjustleft,andlambtellshazlittinjanuarythatsheisstayingaweekorsolonger:aprilwouldmakethistimethreemonths;and(2)lambhastoldhazlittonfebruary19thathisfarceisfinished.

coleridgeleftmaltaforromeonseptember21,1805.hewasprobablyatnaplesfromoctober,1805,totheendofjanuary,1806,whenhewenttorome,remainingthereuntilmay18.writingtomrs.clarksononmarch2,1806,dorothywordsworth"esfromaletterwrittenonfebruary25bymarylambtomrs.s.t.coleridgeandcontainingthispassage:"mybrotherhasreceivedaletterfromstoddartdateddecember26,inwhichhetellshimthatcoleridgewasthenatnaples.wehavealsoheardfromamr.dawethatafriendofhishadreceivedaletterofthesamedate,whichmentionedcoleridgehavingbeenlatelytravellingtowardsromewithapartyofgentlemen;butthathechangedhismindandreturnedbacktonaples.stoddartsaysnothingmorethanthathewasdriventonaplesinconsequenceofthefrenchhavingtakenpossessionoftrieste."(seetheathenæum,january23,1904.)

"videpinckhorn."icannotexplainthis,unlessajusticepinckhornhadogledsarahstoddartandofferedherapresentofabook.marylamb,bytheway,someyearslatertaughtlatintowilliamhazlitt,junior,sarah'sson.

martincharlesburney,thesonofcaptainburney,bornin1788,adevotedadmirerofthelambstotheend.hewasnowonlyeighteen.weshalloftenmeethimagain.

mr.whitewasnotlamb'sfriendjameswhite.

winterslow,inwiltshire,aboutsixmilesfromsalisbury,wasasmallpropertybelongingtosarahstoddart.

"widowblackacre."inwycherley's"plaindealer:"abusy-bodyandpersistentlitigant.]