LETTER101

letter101

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

oct.23rd,1802.

yourkindofferiwillnotasecondtimerefuse.youshallsendmeapacketandiwilldothemintoenglishwithgreatcare.isnotthereoneaboutw'm.tell,andwouldnotthatinthepresentstateofdiscussionsbelikelytotell?theepigramsimeantaretobefoundattheendofharrington'stranslationoforlandofurioso:ifyoucouldgetthebook,theywouldsomeofthemansweryourpurposetomodernize.ifyoucan't,ifancyican.baxter'sholycommonwealthihaveluckilymetwith,andwhenihavesentit,youshallifyoupleaseconsideryourselfindebtedtome3s.6d.thecostofit:especiallyasipurchaseditafteryoursolemninjunctions.theplaincasewithregardtomypresents(whichyouseemsotoshrinkfrom)isthatihavenotatallaffectedthecharacterofadonor,orthoughtofviolatingyoursacredlawofgiveandtake:butihavebeentakingandpartakingthegoodthingsofyourhouse(wheniknowyouwerenotover-abounding)andinowgiveuntoyouofmine;andbythegraceofgodihappentobemyselfalittlesuper-abundantatpresent.iexpectishallbeabletosendyoumyfinalparcelinaboutaweek:bythattimeishallhavegonethro'allmilton'slatinworks.therewillcomewithittheholycommonwealth,andtheidenticalnorthamericanbiblewhichyouhelpedtodogsearatxt's.—icall'dathowell'sforyourlittlemilton,andalsotofetchawaythewhitecrossstreetlibrarybooks,whichihavenotforgot:butyourbookswerenotinastatetobegotatthen,andmrs.h.istoletmeknowwhenshepacksup.theywillbesentbysea;andmylittlepræcursorwillcometoyoubythewhitehavenonaccompaniedwithpens,penknife&c.—mrs.howellwasasusualverycivil;andaskedwithgreatearnestness,ifitwerelikelyyouwouldcometotowninthewinter.shehasafriendlyeyeuponyou.

ireaddailyyourpoliticalessays.iwasparticularlypleasedwith"onceajacobin:"thoughtheargumentisobviousenough,thestylewaslessswellingthanyourthingssometimesare,anditwasplausibleadpopulum.avesselhasjustarrivedfromjamaicawiththenewsofpoorsamlegrice'sdeath.hediedatjamaicaoftheyellowfever.hiscoursewasrapidandhehadbeenveryfoolish;butibelievetherewasmoreofkindnessandwarmthinhimthaninalmostanyotherofourschoolfellows.theannualmeetingofthebluesisto-morrow,atthelondontavern,wherepoorsammydinedwiththemtwoyearsago,andattractedthenoticeofallbythesingularfoppishnessofhisdress.whenmengooffthestagesoearly,itscarceseemsanoticeablethingintheirepitaphs,whethertheyhadbeenwiseorsillyintheirlifetime.

iamgladthesnuffandpi-pos'sbooksplease."goodytwoshoes"isalmostoutofprint.mrs.barbauld'sstuffhasbanishedalltheoldclassicsofthenursery;andtheshopmanatnewbery'shardlydeignedtoreachthemoffanoldexplodedcornerofashelf,whenmaryaskedforthem.mrs.b.'sandmrs.trimmer'snonsenselayinpilesabout.knowledgeinsignificantandvapidasmrs.b.'sbooksconvey,itseems,mustcometoachildintheshapeofknowledge,andhisemptynoddlemustbeturnedwithconceitofhisownpowerswhenhehaslearntthatahorseisananimal,andbillyisbetterthanahorse,andsuchlike;insteadofthatbeautifulinterestinwildtaleswhichmadethechildaman,whileallthetimehesuspectedhimselftobenoerthanachild.sciencehaseededtopoetrynolessinthelittlewalksofchildrenthanwithmen.istherenopossibilityofavertingthissoreevil?thinkwhatyouwouldhavebeennow,ifinsteadofbeingfedwithtalesandoldwives'fablesinchildhood,youhadbeencrammedwithgeographyandnaturalhistory?

damnthem!—imeanthecursedbarbauldcrew,thoseblightsandblastsofallthatishumaninmanandchild.

astothetranslations,letmedotwoorthreehundredlines,andthendoyoutrythenostrumsuponstuartinanywayyouplease.iftheygodowniwillbraymore.infact,ifigotorcouldbutget50l.ayearonly,inadditiontowhatihave,ishouldliveinaffluence.

haveyouanticipatedit,orcouldnotyougiveaparallelofbonapartewithcromwell,particularlyastothecontrastintheirdeedsaffectingforeignstates?cromwell'sinterferenceforthealbigenses,b[uonaparte]'sagainsttheswiss.thenreligionwouldcomein;andmiltonandyoucouldrantaboutourcountrymenofthatperiod.thisisahastyestion,themorehastybecauseiwantmysupper.ihavejustfinishedchapman'shomer.didyoueverreadit?—ithasmostthecontinuouspowerofinterestingyouallalong,likearapidoriginal,ofany,andintheuncommonexcellenceofthemorefinishedpartsgoesbeyondfairfaxoranyof'em.themetreisfourteensyllables,andcapableofallsweetnessandgrandeur.cowper'sdamn'dblankversedetainsyoueverystepwithsomeheavymiltonism;chapmangallopsoffwithyouhisownfreepace.takeasimileforanexample.thecouncilbreaksup—

"beingabroad,theearthwasoverlaid

withflockerstothem,thatcameforth;aswhenoffrequentbees

swarmsriseoutofahollowrock,repairingthedegrees

oftheiregressionendlessly,witheverrisingnew

fromforththeirsweetnest;astheirstore,stillasitfaded,grew,

andneverwouldceasesendingforthherclusterstothespring,

theystillcrowdoutso:thisflockhere,thatthere,belabouring

theloadedflowers.so,"&c.&c.

[iliad,bookii.,70-77.]

whatendlessegressionofphrasesthedogcommands!

takeanother:agamemnonwounded,bearinghiswoundheroicallyforthesakeofthearmy(lookbelow)toawomaninlabour.

"he,withhislance,sword,mightystones,pouredhisheroicwreak

onothersquadronsofthefoe,whilesyetwarmblooddidbreak

thro'hiscleftveins:butwhenthewoundwasquiteexhaustandcrude,

theeageranguishdidapprovehisprincelyfortitude.

aswhenmostsharpandbitterpangsdistractalabouringdame,

whichthedivineilithiæ,thatrulethepainfulframe

ofhumanchildbirth,pouronher;theilithiæthatare

thedaughtersofsaturnia;withwhoseextremerepair

thewomaninhertravailstrivestotaketheworstitgives;

withthought,itmustbe,'tislove'sfruit,theendforwhichshelives;

themeantomakeherselfnewborn,whatcomfortswillredound:

so,"&c.

[iliad,bookxi.,228-239.]

iwilltellyoumoreaboutchapmanandhispeculiaritiesinmynext.iammuchinterestedinhim.

yourseveraffectionately,andpi-pos's.

c.l.

[coleridgewasjustnowcontributingpoliticalessaysaswellasversetothemorningpost."onceajacobinalwaysajacobin"appearedonoctober21,1802.thesewereafterwardsreprintedinessaysonhisowntimes.adpopulumisareminderofcoleridge'sfirstpoliticalessays,theconcionesadpopulumof1795.

"goodytwoshoes"—oneofnewbery'smostfamousbooksforchildren,sometimesattributedtogoldsmith,though,ithink,wrongly.

mrs.barbauld(1743-1825)wastheauthorofhymnsinprosefor

children,andshecontributedtoherbrotherjohnaikin'seveningsat

home,bothverypopularbooks.lamb,whoafterwardscametoknowmrs.

barbauld,describedherandmrs.inchbaldasthetwobaldwomen.mrs.

sarahtrimmer(1741-1810)wastheauthorofmanybooksforchildren;she

livesbythestoryoftherobins.

thetranslationforstuarteitherwasnotmadeornotaccepted;nordid

coleridgecarryouttheprojectoftheparallelofbuonapartewith

cromwell.hallam,however,didsoinhisconstitutionalhistoryof

england,unfavourablytocromwell.

georgechapman'sodysseywasparaphrasedbylambinhisadventuresof

ulysses,1808.lambeitherdidnotreturntothesubjectwith