LETTER102

letter102

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

nov.4th,1802.

observe,therecomestoyou,bythekendalonto-morrow,theillustrious5thofnovember,abox,containingthemiltons,thestrangeamericanbible,withwhite'sbriefnote,towhichyouwillattend;baxter's"holycommonwealth,"forwhichyoustandindebtedtome3s.6d.;anoddvolumeofmontaigne,beingofnousetome,ihavingthewhole;certainbooksbelongingtowordsworth,asdoalsothestrangethick-hoofedshoes,whichareverymuchadmiredatinlondon.allthesesundriesicommendtoyourmoststrenuouslookingafter.ifyoufindthemiltonsincertainpartsdirtiedandsoiledwithacrumbofrightgloucesterblackedinthecandle(myusualsupper),orperadventureastrayashofowaftedintothecrevices,looktothatpassagemoreespecially:dependuponit,itcontainsgoodmatter.ihavegotyourlittlemiltonwhich,asitcontainssalmasius—andimakearuleofneverhearingbutonesideofthequestion(whyshouldidistractmyself?)—ishallreturntoyouwhenipickupthelatinaopera.thefirstdefenceisthegreatestworkamongthem,becauseitisuniformlygreat,andsuchasisbefittingtheverymouthofagreatnationspeakingforitself.buttheseconddefence,whichisbutaessionofsplendidepisodesslightlytiedtogether,hasonepassagewhichifyouhavenotread,iconjureyoutolosenotime,butreadit;itishisconsolationsinhisblindness,whichhadbeenmadeareproachtohim.itbeginswhimsically,withpoeticalflourishesabouttiresiasandotherblindworthies(whichstillaremainlyinterestingasdisplayinghissingularmind,andinwhatdegreepoetryenteredintohisdailysoul,notbyfitsandimpulses,butengrainedandinnate);buttheconcludingpage,i.e.ofthispassage(notofthedefensio)whichyouwilleasilyfind,divestedofallbragsandflourishes,givessorational,sotrueanenumerationofhiscomforts,sohuman,thatitcannotbereadwithoutthedeepestinterest.takeonetouchofthereligiouspart:—"etsanehaudultimadeicuracaeci—(weblindfolks,iunderstanditnotnosforego;)—sumus;quinos,quominusquicquamaliudpraeteripsumcernerevalemus,eoclementiusatquebenigniusrespiceredignatur.vaequiilluditnos,vaequilaedit,execrationepublicadevovendo;nosabinjuriishominumnonmodoincolumes,sedpenesacrosdivinalexreddidit,divinusfavor:neetamoculorumhebetudinequamcoelestiumalarumumbrâhasnobisfecissetenebrasvidetur,factasillustrarerursusinterioreaclongepraestabilioreluminehaudrarosolet.hucrefero,quodetamiciofficiosiusnuncetiamquamsolebant,colunt,observant,adsunt;quodetnonnullisunt,quibuscumpyladeasatquetheseasalternarevocesverorumamicorumliceat.

"vadegubernaculummeipedis.

damanumministroamico.

dacollomanumtuam,ductorautemviæerotibiego."

allthis,andmuchmore,ishighlypleasingtoknow.butyoumayeasilyfindit;—andidon'tknowwhyiputdownsomanywordsaboutit,butforthepleasureofwritingtoyouandthewantofanothertopic.

yoursever,c.lamb.

to-morrowiexpectwithanxietys.t.c.'slettertomr.fox.

[lambreferstomilton'sdefensiosecundapropopuloanglicanocontra

alexandrummorumecclesiasten.thefollowingisatranslationofthe

latinpassagebyrobertfellowes:—

andindeed,inmyblindness,ienjoyinnoinconsiderabledegreethefavourofthedeity;whoregardsmewithmoretendernessandcompassioninproportionasiamabletobeholdnothingbuthimself.alas!forhimwhoinsultsme,whomalignsandmeritspublicexecration!forthedivinelawnotonlyshieldsmefrominjury,butalmostrendersmetoosacredtoattack;notindeedsomuchfromtheprivationofmysight,asfromtheovershadowingofthoseheavenlywings,whichseemtohaveoccasionedthisobscurity;andwhich,whenoccasioned,heiswonttoilluminatewithaninteriorlight,morepreciousandmorepure.tothisiascribethemoretenderassiduitiesofmyfriends,theirsoothingattentions,theirkindvisits,theirreverentialobservances;amongwhomtherearesomewithwhomimayinterchangethepyladeanandtheseandialogueofinseparablefriends.

orest.proceed,andberudderofmyfeet,byshowingmethemostendearinglove.[eurip.inorest.]

andinanotherplace—

"lendyourhandtoyourdevotedfriend,

throwyourarmroundmyneck,and

iwillconductyouontheway."

coleridge'sfirstlettertocharlesjamesfoxwasprintedinthemorningpostfornovember4,1802,hissecondonnovember9.]