LETTER99

letter99

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

october9,1802.

carolusagnuscoleridgiosuos.

carissime—scribis,utnummosscilicetepistolariossolvametpostremointartaraabeam:immotupotiustartaricum(utaiunt)deprehendisti,quimevernaculâmeâlinguâproscribâconductitiopertotannossatiseleganterusumadlatinèimpureetcaninofereorelatrandumpertuasmetepistolasbenècompositasetconcinnataspercellerestudueris.conabortamen:attamenvereor,utÆdesistasnostrichristi,interquastantâdiligentiâmagistriimprobâ[?improbi]bonisliterulis,quasiperclysteremquendaminjectis,infràsupraqueolimpenitusimbutusfui,barnesiietmarklandiidoctissimorumvirorumnominibusadhucgaudentes,barbarismismeisperegrinisetaliundequæsitisvaldedehonestavero[sic].sedpergerequocunqueplacet.adesteigitur,""estis,conjugationumdeclinationumveturmae,terribiliaspectra,ettuimprimisades,umbraetimagomaximaobsoletas(diisgratiæ)virgæ,quânovissimeinmentemreceptâ,horrescuntsubitonatales[nates],etparumdeestquominusasmeasultrousqueadcrurademittam,etipsepuerpueriliterejulem.

istatuacarminachamounianasatisgrandiaessemihiconstat;sedhocmihinonnihildisplicet,quodiniisillaemontiumgrisosonuminterseresponsionestotidemreboantanglice,god,god,haudaliteratquetemetaudivituasmoniescumbrianasresonaredocentes,tod,tod,nempedoctoreminfelicem:vocemcertehauddeumsonantem.procaeterisplaudo.

itidemcomparationesistastuassatiscallidasetlepidascertènovi:sedquidhocadverum?cumilliconsulariviroetmentemirritabilemistamjulianam:etetiamastutiasfrigidulasquasdamaugustopropriores,nequaquamcongruenterunoafflatucomparationiscausâinsedisseaffirmaveris:necnonnescioquidsimilitudinisetiamcumtiberiotertioinlocosoliciteproduxetis.quidtibiequidemcumunovelalterocaesare,cumuniversiduodecimadcomparationestuasseultrotulerint?praeterea,vetustatiadnutans,comparationesiniquasodi.

istaswordsworthianasnuptias(velpotiuscujusdamedmundiitui)teretulissemirificumgaudeo.valeas,maria,fortunatanimium,etantiquaeillaemariaevirgini(comparationeplusquamcaesareanâ)forsitancomparanda,quoniam"beataintermulieres:"etetiamfortassewordsworthiumipsumtuummaritumangelosalutatoriaequarefaserit,quoniamecoelo(utille)descenduntetmusaeetipsimusicolae:atwordsworthiummusarumobservantissimumsempernovi.necnontequoqueaffinitatehâcnovâ,dorothea,gratulor:ettucertealterumdonumdei.

istumludum,quemtu,coleridgi,americanumgarris,aludo(utludisunt)maximèabhorrentempraetereo:nempequidadludumattinet,totiusillaegentiscolumbianae,anostrâgente,eademstirpeortâ,ludisingulicausavoluntatemperperamalienare?quassoegomateriamludi:tubellaingeris.

deniquevaleas,etquiddelatinitatemeâputes,dicas;faciasutopossumillumnostrumvolantemvel(uttumalis)quendampiscemerrabundum,amesalvumetpulcherrimumessejubeas.valeantuxortuacumhartleiionostro.sorormeasalvaestetego:vosetipsasalverejubet.ulteriusprogrediri[?progredi]nonliquet:homosumaeratus.

p.s.—penemihiexciderat,apudmeesselibrorumajohannomiltonolatinèscriptorumvoluminaduo,quae(deovolente)cumcaeteristuislibrisocyuscitiuspermaria[?]adtemissura[sic]curabo;sedmeinhoctaligenerererumnullomodofestinantemnovisti:habesconfitentemreum.hocsolumdici[sic]restat,praedictavoluminapulchraesseetomniaoperalatinaj.m.insecontinere.circadefensionemistampropop°.ang°.acerrimaminpraesensipsepraeclarogaudiomoror.

jussatuastuartinafaciamutdiligentercolam.

iterumiterumquevaleas:

etfaciasmemorsisnostri.

[iappendatranslationfromthepenofmr.stephengwynn:—

charleslambtohisfriendcoleridge,greeting.

dearfriend—youwritethatiamtopaymydebt,towitincoinofcorrespondence,andfinallythatiamtogototartarus:nobutitisyouhavecaughtatartar(asthesayingis),sinceafteralltheseyearsemployingmyownvernaculartongue,andprettilyenoughforahiredpenman,youhavesetabouttodrivemebymeansofyourwellcomposedandneatlyturnedepistlestogrossandalmostishbarkinginthelatin.still,iwilltry:andyetifearthatthehostelofourchrist,—whereinbytheexceedingdiligenceofarelentlessmasteriwasindaysgonebydeeplyimbuedfromtoptobottomwithpolitelearning,instilledasitwerebyaclyster—whichstillgloriesinthenamesoftheeruditebarnesandmarkland,willbevilelydishonouredbymyoutlandishandadscititiousbarbarisms.butiamdeterminedtoproceed,nomatterwhither.bewithmethereforeallyetroopsofconjugationsanddeclensions,dreadspectres,andapproachthouchiefest,shadeandphantomofthedisused(thankheaven)birch,atwhoseentrytomyimaginationasuddenshivertakesmyrump,andatriflethenmorewouldmakemebegintoletdownmybreechestomycalves,andturningboy,howlboyishly.

thatyourodeatchamounixisafinethingiamclear;buthereisathingoffendsmesomewhat,thatintheodeyouranswersofthegrisonmountainstoeachothershouldsooftenechoinenglishgod,god—intheverytonethatihaveheardyourownlipsteachingyourcumbrianmountainstoresoundtod,tod,meaningtheunluckydoctor—asyllableassuredlyofnogodlikesound.fortherest,iapprove.

moreover,icertainlyrecognisethatyourcomparisonsareacuteandwitty;butwhathasthistodowithtruth?sinceyouhavegiventothegreatconsulatoncethatirritablemindofjulius,andalsoakindofcoldcunning,morepropertoaugustus—attributingincongruouscharacteristicsinonebreathforthesakeofyourcomparison:nay,youhaveeveninthethirdinstancelaboriouslydrawnoutsomelikenesstotiberius.whathadyoutodowithonecaesar,orasecond,whenthewholetwelveofferedthemselvestoyourcomparison?moreover,iagreewithantiquity,andthinkcomparisonsodious.

yourwordsworthnuptials(orratherthenuptialsofacertainedmundofyours)fillmewithjoyinyourreport.mayyouprosper,mary,fortunatebeyondcompare,andperchancecomparabletothatancientvirginmary(acomparisonmorethancæsarean)since"blessedartthouamongwomen:"perhapsalsoitwillbenoimpietytocomparewordsworthhimselfyourhusbandtotheangelofsalutation,since(liketheangel)fromheavendescendbothmusesandtheservantsofthemuses:whosedevoutestvotaryialwaysknowwordsworthtobe.congratulationstothee,dorothea,inthisnewalliance:youalsoassuredlyareanother"giftofgod."

asforyourludus[lloyd],whomyoutalkofasan"american,"ipasshimbyasnosportsman(assportgoes):whatkindofsportisit,toalienateutterlythegoodwillofthewholecolumbianpeople,ourownkin,sprungofthesamestock,forthesakeofoneludd[lloyd]?iseekthematerialfordiversion:youheaponwar.

finally,fareyouwell,andpraytellmewhatyouthinkofmylatinity.kindlywishhealthandbeautyfrommetoourflyingpossumor(asyouprefertocallit)rovingfish.goodhealthtoyourwifeandmyfriendhartley.mysisterandiarewell.shealsosendsyougreeting.idonotseehowtogetonfarther:iamamanindebt[orpossiblyin"fetters"].

p.s.—ihadalmostforgot,ihavebymetwovolumesofthelatinwritingsofjohnmilton,which(d.v.)iwillhavesentyousoonerorlaterbymary:butyouknowmenowayprecipitateinthiskind:theaccusedpleadsguilty.thisonlyremainstobesaid,thattheaforesaidvolumesarehandsomeandcontainallthelatinworksofj.m.atpresentidwellwithmuchdelightonhisvigorousdefenceoftheenglishpeople.

iwillbesuretoobservediligentlyyourstuartialtidings.

againandagainfarewell:andpraybemindfulofme.

coleridge's"hymnbeforesun-rise,inthevaleofchamouni,"wasprintedinthemorningpostforseptember11,1802.thepoemcontainsthispassage:—

god!letthetorrents,likeashoutofnations,

answer!andlettheice-plainsecho,god!

god!singyemeadow-streamswithgladsomevoice!

yepine-groves,withyoursoftandsoul-likesounds!

andtheytoohaveavoice,yonpilesofsnow,

andintheirperilousfallshallthunder,god!

canonaingereststhatbytod,theunluckydoctor,lambmeantdr.williamdodd(1729-1777),thecompilerofthebeautiesofshakespeareandtheforger,whowashangedattyburn.

"yourcomparisons."coleridge's"comparisonofthepresentstateoffrancewiththatofromeunderjuliusandaugustuscæsar"wasprintedinthemorningpost,september21,september25,andoctober2,1802.seeessaysonhisowntimes,1850,vol.iii.,page478.

wordsworth'smarriagetomaryhutchinson,onoctober4,1802,hadcalledforthfromcoleridgehisodeon"dejection,"printedinthemorningpostforthesameday,inwhichwordsworthwasaddressedasedmund.inlatereditionscoleridgesuppresseditspersonalcharacter.

ludusislloyd.lambmeansby"american"whatweshouldmeanbypro-american.

"stuartial."referringtodanielstuartofthemorningpost.]