LETTER98 - The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 5 - Charles Lamb - 其他小说 - 30读书

LETTER98

letter98

charleslambtothomasmanning

24thsept.,1802,london.

mydearmanning,—sincethedateofmylastletter,ihavebeenatraveller.astrongdesireseizedmeofvisitingremoteregions.myfirstimpulsewastogoandseeparis.itwasatrivialobjectiontomyaspiringmind,thatididnotunderstandawordofthelanguage,sinceicertainlyintendsometimeinmylifetoseeparis,andequallycertainlyneverintendtolearnthelanguage;thereforethatcouldbenoobjection.however,iamverygladididnotgo,becauseyouhadleftparis(isee)beforeicouldhavesetout.ibelieve,stoddartpromisingtogowithmeanotheryearpreventedthatplan.mynextscheme,(fortomyrestless,ambitiousmindlondonwasbecomeabedofthorns)wastovisitthefar-famedpeakinderbyshire,wherethedevilsits,theysay,withoutbreeches.thismypurermindrejectedasindelicate.andmyfinalresolvewasatourtothelakes.isetoutwithmarytokeswick,withoutgivingcoleridgeanynotice;formytimebeingpreciousdidnotadmitofit.hereceiveduswithallthehospitalityintheworld,andgaveuphistimetoshowusallthewondersofthecountry.hedwellsuponasmallhillbythesideofkeswick,inacomfortablehouse,quiteenvelopedonallsidesbyanetofmountains:greatflounderingbearsandmonsterstheyseemed,allcouchantandasleep.wegotinintheevening,travellinginapost-chaisefrompenrith,inthemidstofagorgeoussunshine,whichtransmutedallthemountainsintocolours,purple,&c.&c.wethoughtwehadgotintofairyland.butthatwentoff(asitnevercameagain—whilewestayedwehadnomorefinesunsets);andweenteredcoleridge'scomfortablestudyjustinthedusk,whenthemountainswerealldarkwithcloudsupontheirheads.suchanimpressionineverreceivedfromobjectsofsightbefore,nordoisuppose1caneveragain.

gloriouscreatures,fineoldfellows,skiddaw,&c.inevershallforgetye,howyelayaboutthatnight,likeanintrenchment;gonetobed,asitseemedforthenight,butpromisingthatyeweretobeseeninthemorning.coleridgehadgotablazingfireinhisstudy;whichisalarge,antique,ill-shapedroom,withanold-fashionedorgan,neverplayedupon,bigenoughforachurch,shelvesofscatteredfolios,anÆolianharp,andanoldsofa,half-bed,&c.andalllookingoutuponthelastfadingviewofskiddawandhisbroad-breastedbrethren:whatanight!herewestayedthreefullweeks,inwhichtimeivisitedwordsworth'scottage,wherewestayedadayortwowiththeclarksons(goodpeopleandmosthospitable,atwhosehousewetarriedonedayandnight),andsawlloyd.thewordsworthsweregonetocalais.theyhavesincebeeninlondonandpastmuchtimewithus:heisnowgoneintoyorkshiretobemarriedtoagirlofsmallfortune,butheisinexpectationofaugmentinghisowninconsequenceofthedeathoflordlonsdale,whokepthimoutofhisowninconformitywithaplanmylordhadtakenupinearlylifeofmakingeverybodyunhappy.sowehaveseenkeswick,grasmere,ambleside,ulswater(wheretheclarksonslive),andaplaceattheotherendofulswater—iforgetthename—towhichwetravelledonaverysultryday,overthemiddleofhelvellyn.wehaveclambereduptothetopofskiddaw,andihavewadedupthebedoflodore.infine,ihavesatisfiedmyself,thatthereissuchathingasthatwhichtouristscallromantic,whichiverymuchsuspectedbefore:theymakesuchasplutteringaboutit,andtosstheirsplendidepithetsaroundthem,tilltheygiveasdimalightasatfouro'clocknextmorningthelampsdoafteranillumination.marywasexcessivelytired,whenshegotabouthalf-wayupskiddaw,butwecametoacoldrill(thanwhichnothingcanbeimaginedmorecold,runningovercoldstones),andwiththereinforcementofadraughtofcoldwatershesurmounteditmostmanfully.oh,itsfineblackhead,andthebleakairatopofit,withaprospectofmountainsallabout,andabout,makingyougiddy;andthenscotlandafaroff,andthebordercountriessofamousinsongandballad!itwasadaythatwillstandout,likeamountain,iamsure,inmylife.butiamreturned(ihavenowbeencomehomenearthreeweeks—iwasamonthout),andyoucannotconceivethedegradationifeltatfirst,frombeingaccustomedtowanderfreeasairamongmountains,andbatheinriverswithoutbeingcontrolledbyanyone,tocomehomeandwork.ifeltverylittle.ihadbeendreamingiwasaverygreatman.butthatisgoingoff,andifindishallconformintimetothatstateoflifetowhichithaspleasedgodtocallme.besides,afterall,fleet-streetandthestrandarebetterplacestoliveinforgoodandallthanamongskiddaw.still,iturnbacktothosegreatplaceswhereiwanderedabout,participatingintheirgreatness.afterall,icouldnotliveinskiddaw.icouldspendayear—two,threeyears—amongthem,butimusthaveaprospectofseeingfleet-streetattheendofthattime,orishouldmopeandpineaway,iknow.still,skiddawisafinecreature.myhabitsarechanging,ithink:i.e.fromdrunktosober.whetherishallbehappierornotremainstobeproved.ishallcertainlybemorehappyinamorning;butwhetherishallnotsacrificethefat,andthemarrow,andthekidneys,i.e.thenight,thegloriouscare-drowningnight,thathealsallourwrongs,pourswineintoourmortifications,changesthescenefromindifferentandflattobrightandbrilliant!—omanning,ifishouldhaveformedadiabolicalresolution,bythetimeyoucometoengland,ofnotadmittinganyspirituousliquorsintomyhouse,willyoubemyguestonsuchshameworthyterms?islife,withsuchlimitations,worthtrying?thetruthis,thatmyliquorsbringanestoffriendlyharpiesaboutmyhouse,whoconsumeme.

thisisapitifultaletobereadatst.gothard;butitisjustnownearestmyheart.fenwickisaruinedman.heishidinghimselffromhiscreditors,andhassenthiswifeandchildrenintothecountry.fell,myotherdrunkencompanion(thathasbeen:namhiccaestusartemquerepono),isturnededitorofa"navalchronicle."godwin(withapitifulartificialwife)continuesasteadyfriend,thoughthesamefacilitydoesnotremainofvisitinghimoften.thatbitchhasdetachedmarshallfromhishouse,marshallthemanwhowenttosleepwhenthe"ancientmariner"wasreading:theold,steady,unalterablefriendoftheprofessor.holcroftisnotyetcometotown.iexpecttoseehim,andwilldeliveryourmessage.howihatethispartofaletter.thingscomecrowdingintosay,andnoroomfor'em.somethingsaretoolittletobetold,i.e.tohaveapreference;somearetoobigandcircumstantial.thanksforyours,whichwasmostdelicious.wouldihadbeenwithyou,benighted&c.ifearmyheadisturnedwithwandering.ishallneverbethesameacquiescentbeing.farewell;writeagainquickly,forishallnotliketohazardaletter,notknowingwherethefateshavecarriedyou.farewell,mydearfellow.

c.lamb.

[lambestsinletter54thatheknewsomefrench.marshallwemetintheletterstogodwinofdecember14,1800,andtomanning,december16,1800.

"holcroft"—thomasholcroft(1745-1809),amiscellaneouswriter,whoisbestknownbyhisplay"theroadtoruin."lambsaysofhiminhis"lettertosouthey"(seevol.i.ofthisedition)thathewas"oneofthemostcandid,mostupright,andsingle-meaningmen"thathehadevermet.]

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