LETTER60

letter60

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

[?latejuly,1800.]

dearcoleridge,—soonafteriwrotetoyoulast,anofferwasmademebygutch(youmustrememberhim?atchrist's—yousawhim,slightly,onedaywiththomsonatourhouse)—tocomeandlodgewithhimathishouseinsouthamptonbuildings,chancery-lane.thiswasaverycomfortableoffertome,theroomsbeingatareasonablerent,andincludingtheuseofanoldservant,besidesbeinginfinitelypreferabletoordinarylodgingsinourcase,asyoumustperceive.asgutchknewallourstoryandtheperpetualliabilitytoarecurrenceinmysister'sdisorder,probablytotheendofherlife,icertainlythinktheofferverygenerousandveryfriendly.ihavegotthreerooms(includingservant)under£34ayear.hereisoonfoundmyselfathome;andhere,insixweeksafter,marywaswellenoughtojoinme.soweareoncemoresettled.iamafraidwearenotplacedoutofthereachoffutureinterruptions.butiamdeterminedtotakewhatsnatchesofpleasurewecanbetweentheactsofourdistressfuldrama….ihavepassedtwodaysatoxfordonavisit,whichihavelongputoff,togutch'sfamily.thesightofthebodleianlibraryand,aboveall,afinebustofbishoptayloratallsouls',wereparticularlygratifyingtome;unluckily,itwasnotafamilywhereicouldtakemarywithme,andiamafraidthereissomethingofdishonestyinanypleasuresitakewithouther.shenevergoesanywhere.idonotknowwhaticanaddtothisletter.ihopeyouarebetterbythistime;andidesiretobeaffectionatelyrememberedtosaraandhartley.

iexpectedbeforethistohavehadtidingsofanotherlittlephilosopher.lloyd'swifeisonthepointoffavouringtheworld.

haveyouseentheneweditionofburns?hisposthumousworksandletters?ihaveonlybeenabletoprocurethefirstvolume,whichcontainshislife—veryconfusedlyandbadlywritten,andinterspersedwithdullpathologicalandmedicaldiscussions.itiswrittenbyadr.currie.doyouknowthewell-meaningdoctor?alas,nesutorultracrepitum![afewwordsomittedhere.]

ihopetohearagainfromyouverysoon.godwinisgonetoirelandonavisittograttan.beforehewentipassedmuchtimewithhim,andhehasshowedmeparticularattentions:n.b.athingimuchlike.yourbooksareallsafe:onlyihavenotthoughtitnecessarytofetchawayyourlastbatch,whichiunderstandareatjohnson'sthebookseller,whohasgotquiteasmuchroom,andwilltakeasmuchcareofthemasmyself—andyoucansendforthemimmediatelyfromhim.

iwishyouwouldadverttoaletterisentyouatgrasmereabout

"christabel,"andcomplywithmyrequestcontainedtherein.

lovetoallfriendsroundskiddaw.

c.lamb.

[thecoleridgeshadrecentlymovedintogretahall,keswick.

thomsonwould,ithink,bemarmadukethompson,anoldchrist'shospitaller,towhomlambdedicatedrosamundgray.hebecameamissionary.

"anotherlittlephilosopher."derwentcoleridgewasbornseptember14,1800.lloyd'seldestson,charlesgrosvenorlloyd,wasbornjuly31,1800.

dr.jamescurrie'slifeofburnswasprefixedtoaneditionofhispoemsin1800.dugaldstewartcalledit"astrongandfaithfulpicture."itwaswrittentoraisefundsforburns'widowandfamily.

godwinhadgonetostaywithcurran:hesawmuchofgrattanalso.

johnson,thepublisherandbookseller,livedat72st.paul's

churchyard.hepublishedpriestley'sworks.]