LETTER107

letter107

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

april13th,1803.

mydearcoleridge,—thingshavegoneonbetterwithmesinceyouleftme.iexpecttohavemyoldhousekeeperhomeagaininaweekortwo.shehasmendedmostrapidly.myhealthtoohasbeenbettersinceyoutookawaythatmonterocap.ihaveleftoffcayennedeggsandsuchbolsterstodiscomfort.therewasdeathinthatcap.imischievouslywishedthatbysomeinauspiciousjoltthewholecontentsmightbeshaken,andthecoachsetonfire.foryousaidtheyhadthatproperty.howtheoldgentleman,whojoinedyouatgrantham,wouldhaveclappthishandstohisknees,andnotknowingbutitwasanimmediatevisitationofgodthatburnthim,howpiousitwouldhavemadehim;him,imean,thatbroughttheinfluenzawithhim,andonlytookplacesforone—adamn'doldsinner,hemusthaveknownwhathehadgotwithhim!however,iwishthecapnoharmforthesakeoftheheaditfits,andcouldbecontenttoseeitdisfiguremyhealthysideboardagain.[hereisaparagrapherased.]

whatdoyouthinkofsmoking?iwantyoursober,averagenoonopinionofit.igenerallyameatingmydinneraboutthetimeishoulddetermineit.[anothersmallerasure.]

morningisagirl,andcan'tsmoke—she'snoevidenceonewayorother;andnightissoevidentlyboughtover,thathecan'tbeaveryuprightjudge.maybethetruthis,thatonepipeiswholesome,twopipestoothsome,threepipesnoisome,fourpipesfulsome,fivepipesquarrelsome;andthat'sthesumon't.butthatisdecidingratheruponrhymethanreason….afterall,ourinstinctsmaybebest.wine,iamsure,good,mellow,generousport,canhurtnobody,unlesstheytakeittoexcess,whichtheymayeasilyavoidiftheyobservetherulesoftemperance.

blessyou,oldsophist,whonexttohumannaturetaughtmeallthecorruptioniwascapableofknowing—andblessyourmonterocap,andyourtrail(whichshallcomeafteryouwheneveryouappoint),andyourwifeandchildren—pi-posespecially.

whenshallwetwosmokeagain?lastnightihadbeeninasadquandaryofspirits,inwhattheycalltheevening;butapipeandsomegenerousport,andkinglear(beingalone),haditseffectsasaremonstrance.iwenttobedpot-valiant.bytheway,maynottheoglesofsomersetshireberemotelydescendedfromkinglear?

lovetosara,andaskherwhatgownshemeansthatmaryhasgotofhers.

iknowofnonebutwhatwentwithmisswordsworth'sthingsto

wordsworth,andwaspaidforoutoftheirmoney.ialludetoapart

whichimayhavereadimperfectlyinaletterofherstoyou.

c.l.

[coleridgehadbeeninlondonearlyinaprilandhadstayedwithlambinthetemple.fromthefollowinglettertohiswife,datedapril4,wegetlightonlamb'sallusiontohis"oldhousekeeper,"i.e.,marylamb,andherrapidmending:—

"ihadpurposednottospeakofmarylamb,butihadbetterwriteitthantellit.thethursdaybeforelastshemetatrickman'samr.babb,anoldfriendandadmirerofhermother.thenextdayshesmiledinanominousway;onsundayshetoldherbrotherthatshewasgettingbad,withgreatagony.ontuesdaymorningshelaidholdofmewithviolentagitationandtalkedwildlyaboutgeorgedyer.itoldcharlestherewasnotamomenttolose;andididnotloseamoment,butwentforahackney-coachandtookhertotheprivatemad-houseathugsden.shewasquitecalm,andsaiditwasthebesttodoso.butsheweptbitterlytwoorthreetimes,yetallinacalmway.charlesiscuttotheheart."

lamb'sfirstarticulatedoubtsastosmokingareexpressedinthisletter.onemayperhapstakeinthisconnectionthepassageonoandalcoholinthe"confessionsofadrunkard"(seevol.i.).

"monterocap"—arecollectionoftristramshandy.

theoglesandkinglear(i.e.,leer)—merelyapun.]