LETTER82

letter82

charleslambtothomasmanning

feb.15,1801.

ihadneedbecautioushenceforwardwhatopinionigiveofthe"lyricalballads."allthenorthofenglandareinaturmoil.cumberlandandwestmorelandhavealreadydeclaredastateofwar.ilatelyreceivedfromwordsworthacopyofthesecondvolume,accompaniedbyanacknowledgementofhavingreceivedfrommemanymonthssinceacopyofacertaintragedy,withexcusesfornothavingmadeanyacknowledgementsooner,itbeingowingtoan"almostinsurmountableaversionfromletter-writing."thisletteriansweredindueformandtime,andenumeratedseveralofthepassageswhichhadmostaffectedme,adding,unfortunately,thatnosinglepiecehadmovedmesoforciblyasthe"ancientmariner,""themadmother,"orthe"linesattinternabbey."thepostdidnotsleepamoment.ireceivedalmostinstantaneouslyalongletteroffoursweatingpagesfrommyreluctantletter-writer,thepurportofwhichwas,thathewassorryhis2dvol.hadnotgivenmemorepleasure(devilahintdidigivethatithadnotpleasedme),and"wascompelledtowishthatmyrangeofsensibilitywasmoreextended,beingobligedtobelievethatishouldreceivelargeinfluxesofhappinessandhappythoughts"(isupposefromthel.b.)—withadealofstuffaboutacertainunionoftendernessandimagination,whichinthesenseheusedimaginationwasnotthecharacteristicofshakspeare,butwhichmiltonpossessedinadegreefarexceedingotherpoets:whichunion,asthehighestspeciesofpoetry,andchieflydeservingthatname,"hewasmostproudtoaspireto;"thenillustratingthesaidunionbytwo"ationsfromhisown2dvol.(whichihadbeensounfortunateastomiss).1stspecimen—afatheraddresseshisson:—

"whenthou

firstcamestintotheworld,asitbefalls

tonew-borninfants,thoudidstsleepaway

twodays:andblessingsfromthyfather'stongue

thenfelluponthee."

thelineswerethusundermarked,andthenfollowed"thispassage,ascombininginanextraordinarydegreethatunionofimaginationandtendernesswhichiamspeakingof,iconsiderasoneofthebestieverwrote!"

2dspecimen.—ayouth,afteryearsofabsence,revisitshisnativeplace,andthinks(asmostpeopledo)thattherehasbeenstrangealterationinhisabsence:—

"andthattherocks

andeverlastinghillsthemselveswerechanged."

youseeboththesearegoodpoetry:butafteronehasbeenreadingshakspearetwentyofthebestyearsofone'slife,tohaveafellowstartup,andprateaboutsomeunknownquality,whichshakspearepossessedinadegreeinferiortomiltonandsomebodyelse!!thiswasnottobeallmycastigation.coleridge,whohadnotwrittentomesomemonthsbefore,startsupfromhisbedofsicknesstoreprovemeformyhardypresumption:fourlongpages,equallysweatyandmoretedious,camefromhim;assuringmethat,whentheworksofamanoftruegeniussuchasw.undoubtedlywas,donotpleasemeatfirstsight,ishouldsuspectthefaulttolie"inmeandnotinthem,"etc.etc.etc.etc.etc.whatamitodowithsuchpeople?icertainlyshallwritethemaverymerryletter.writingtoyou,imaysaythatthe2dvol.hasnosuchpiecesasthethreeienumerated.itisfulloforiginalthinkingandanobservingmind,butitdoesnotoftenmakeyoulaughorcry.—ittooartfullyaimsatsimplicityofexpression.andyousometimesdoubtifsimplicitybenotacoverforpoverty.thebestpieceinitiwillsendyou,beingshort.ihavegrievouslyoffendedmyfriendsinthenorthbydeclaringmyunduepreference;butineednotfearyou:—

"shedweltamongtheuntroddenways

besidethespringsofdove,

amaidwhomtherewerefew[none]topraise

andveryfewtolove.

"aviolet,byamossystone,

halfhiddenfromtheeye.

fairasastarwhenonlyone

isshininginthesky.

"shelivedunknown;andfewcouldknow,

whenlucyceasedtobe.

butsheisinthegrave,andoh!

thedifferencetome."

thisischoiceandgenuine,andsoaremany,manymore.butonedoesnotliketohave'emrammeddownone'sthroat."pray,takeit—it'sverygood—letmehelpyou—eatfaster."

[itcannotbetoomuchregrettedthatlamb's"verymerryletter"inanswertowordsworthandcoleridge'sremonstranceshasnotbeenpreserved.

attheendoftheletterisapassagewhichcanbereadonlyinthebostonbibliophileedition,referringtodyer'spoems,tojohnwoodvilandtogodwin.]