LETTER64

letter64

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

thursday,aug.14,1800.

readonandyou'llcometothepens.

myheadisplayingallthetunesintheworld,ringingsuchpeals.ithasjustfinishedthe"merrychristchurchbells,"andabsolutelyisbeginning"turnagain,whittington."buz,buz,buz:bum,bum,bum:wheeze,wheeze,wheeze:feu,feu,feu:tinky,tinky,tinky:craunch.ishallcertainlycometobedamnedatlast.ihavebeengettingdrunkfortwodaysrunning.ifindmymoralsenseinthelaststageofaconsumption,andmyreligionburningasblueandfaintasthetopsofeveningbricks.hellgapesandthedevil'sgreatgutscrycupboardforme.inthemidstofthisinfernaltorture,conscience(andbedamn'dtoher),isbarkingandyelpingasloudasanyofthem.

ihavesatdowntoreadoveragain,andithinkidobegintospyoutsomethingwithbeautyanddesigninit.iperfectlyaccedetoallyouralterations,andonlydesirethatyouhadcutdeeper,whenyourhandwasin.

inthenexteditionofthe"anthology"(whichphoebusavertandthosenineotherwanderingmaidsalso!)pleasetoblotoutgentle-hearted,andsubstitutedrunken:dog,ed-head,seld-shaven,odd-eyed,stuttering,oranyotherepithetwhichtrulyandproperlybelongstothegentlemaninquestion.andforcharlesreadtom,orbob,orrichardformoredelicacy.damnyou,iwasbeginningtoforgiveyouandbelieveinearnestthattheinginofmypropernamewaspurelyunintentionalonyourpart,whenlookingbackforfurtherconviction,staresmeinthefacecharleslamboftheindiahouse.nowiamconvinceditwasalldoneinmalice,heapedsack-upon-sack,congregated,studiedmalice.youdog!your141stpageshallnotsaveyou.iowniwasjustreadytoacknowledgethatthereisasomethingnotunlikegoodpoetryinthatpage,ifyouhadnotrunintotheunintelligibleabstraction-fitaboutthemannerofthedeity'smakingspiritsperceivehispresence.god,norcreatedthingalive,canreceiveanyhonourfromsuchthinshow-boxattributes.

by-the-by,wheredidyoupickupthatscandalouspieceofprivatehistoryabouttheangelandtheduchessofdevonshire?ifitisafictionofyourown,whytrulyitisaverymodestoneforyou.nowidoaffirmthat"lewti"isaverybeautifulpoem.iwasinearnestwhenipraisedit.itdescribesasillyspeciesofonenotthewisestofpassions.thereforeitcannotdeeplyaffectadisenthralledmind.butsuchimagery,suchnovelty,suchdelicacy,andsuchversificationnevergotintoan"anthology"before.iamonlysorrythatthecauseofallthepassionatecomplaintisnotgreaterthanthetriflingcircumstanceoflewtibeingoutoftemperoneday.insobertruth,icannotseeanygreatmeritinthelittledialoguecalled"blenheim."itisrathernovelandpretty;butthethoughtisveryobviousandchildren'spoorprattle,athingofeasyimitation.paupervultviderietest.

"gualberto"certainlyhasconsiderableoriginality,butsadlywantsfinishing.itis,asitis,oneoftheverybestinthebook.nextto"lewti"ilikethe"raven,"whichhasagooddealofhumour.iwaspleasedtoseeitagain,foryouoncesentitme,andihavelosttheletterwhichcontainedit.nowiamonthesubjectofanthologies,imustsayiamsorrytheoldpastoralwayhasfallenintodisrepute.thegentrywhichnowinditesonnetsarecertainlythelegitimatedescendantsoftheancientshepherds.thesamesimperingfaceofdescription,theoldfamilyface,isvisiblycontinuedintheline.someoftheirancestors'laboursareyettobefoundinallanramsay'sandjacobtonson'smiscellanies.

but,miscellaniesdecayingandtheoldpastoralwaydyingofmerewant,theiressors(drivenfromtheirpaternalacres)now-a-dayssettleandhiveuponmagazinesandanthologies.thisraceofmenareuncommonlyaddictedtosuperstition.someofthemareidolatersandworshipthemoon.othersdeifyqualities,aslove,friendship,sensibility,orbareaccidents,assolitude.griefandmelancholyhavetheirrespectivealtarsandtemplesamongthem,astheheathensbuildedtheirstomors,febris,palloris.theyallagreeinascribingapeculiarsanctitytothenumberfourteen.oneoftheirownlegislatorsaffirmeth,thatwhateverexceedsthatnumber"encroachethupontheprovinceoftheelegy"—viceversa,whatever"comethshortofthatnumberabuttethuponthepremisesoftheepigram."ihavebeenabletodiscoverbutfewimagesintheirtemples,which,likethecavesofdelphosofold,arefamousforgivingechoes.theyimputeareligiousimportancetothelettero,whetherbecausebyitsroundnessitisthoughttotypifythemoon,theirprincipalgoddess,orforitsanalogiestotheirownlabours,allendingwheretheybegan;orwhateverotherhighandmysticalreference,ihaveneverbeenabletodiscover,butiobservetheyneverbegintheirinvocationstotheirgodswithoutit,exceptindeedoneinsignificantsectamongthem,whousethedorica,pronouncedlikeah!broad,instead.theseboasttohaverestoredtheolddorianmood.

nowiamonthesubjectofpoetry,imustannouncetoyou,who,doubtless,inyourremotepartoftheisland,havenotheardtidingsofsogreatablessing,thatgeorgedyerhathpreparedtwoponderousvolumesfullofpoetryandcriticism.theyimpendoverthetown,andarethreatenedtofallinthewinter.thefirstvolumecontainseverysortofpoetryexceptpersonalsatire,whichgeorge,inhistrulyoriginalprospectus,renouncethforever,whimsicallyfoistingtheintentioninbetweenthepriceofhisbookandtheproposednumberofsubscribers.(ifican,iwillgetyouacopyofhishandbill.)hehastriedhisveinineveryspeciesbesides—thespenserian,thomsonian,masonicandakensidishmoreespecially.thesecondvolumeisallcriticism;whereinhedemonstratestotheentiresatisfactionoftheliteraryworld,inawaythatmustsilenceallreplyforever,thatthepastoralwasintroducedbytheocritusandpolishedbyvirgilandpope—thatgrayandmason(whoalwayshuntincouplesingeorge'sbrain)haveagooddealofpoeticalfireandtruelyricgenius—thatcowleywasruinedbyexcessofwit(awarningtoallmoderns)—thatcharleslloyd,charleslamb,andwilliamwordsworth,inlaterdays,havestruckthetruechordsofpoesy.o,george,george,withaheaduniformlywrongandaheartuniformlyright,thatihadpowerandmightequaltomywishes!—theniwouldcallthegentryofthynativeisland,andtheyshouldcomeintroops,flockingatthesoundofthyprospectustrumpet,andcrowdingwhoshallbefirsttostandinthylistofsubscribers.icanonlyputtwelveshillingsintothypocket(which,iwillanswerforthem,willnotsticktherelong),outofapocketalmostasbareasthine.[lambhereerasessixlines.]

isitnotapitysomuchfinewritingshouldbeerased?but,totellthetruth,ibegantoscentthatiwasgettingintothatsortofstylewhichlonginusanddionysiushalicarnassusaptlycall"theaffected."butiamsufferingfromthecombinedeffectoftwodays'drunkenness,andatsuchtimesitisnotveryeasytothinkorexpressinanaturalseries.theonlyusefulobjectofthisletteristoapprizeyouthatonsaturdayishalltransmitthepensbythesamecoachisenttheparcel.soenquirethemout.youhadbetterwritetogodwinhere,directingyourlettertobeforwardedtohim.idon'tknowhisaddress.youknowyourlettermustatanyratecometolondonfirst.c.l.

["yoursatireuponme"—"thislime-treebowermyprison"(seeabove).

"thosenineotherwanderingmaids"—themuses.arecollectionofthe

anti-jacobin'sversesonlambandhisfriends(seeabove).

"your141stpage.""thislime-treebower"again.by"unintelligibleabstraction-fit"lambreferstothepassage:—

ah!slowlysink

behindthewesternridge,thouglorioussun!

shineintheslantbeamsofthesinkingorb,

yepurpleheath-flowers!richlierburn,yeclouds!

liveintheyellowlight,yedistantgroves!

andkindle,thoublueocean!somyfriend

struckwithdeepjoymaystand,asihavestood,

silentwithswimmingsense;yea,gazinground

onthewidelandscape,gazetillalldothseem

lessgrossthanbodily;andofsuchhues

asveilthealmightyspirit,whenyethemakes

spiritsperceivehispresence.

"thatscandalouspieceofprivatehistory."areferencetocoleridge's

"odetogeorgiana,duchessofdevonshire,"reprintedintheannual

anthologyfromthemorningpost.

"blenheim"—southey'sballad,"itwasasummer'sevening."

"gualberto."thepoem"st.gualberto"bysouthey,intheannual

anthology.

"theraven"wasreferredtoinlamb'sletteroffeb.5,1797.

georgedyer'spoems,intwovolumes,werepublishedin1800.seenotetoletter80.

uponthephrase"thetopsofeveningbricks"inthisletter,editorshavebeendivided.thelatedr.garnett,whoannotatedthebostonbibliophileedition,isconvincedthat"evening"istheword,andhesaysthatthebricksmeantwereprobablybriquettesofcompressedcoaldust.]