LETTER21

letter21

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

[datedatend:january18,1797.]

dearcol,—youhavelearndbythistime,withsurprise,nodoubt,thatlloydiswithmeintown.theemotionsifeltonhiscomingsounlookedforarenotillexpressedinwhatfollows,&what,ifyoudonotobjecttothemastoopersonal,&totheworldobscure,orotherwisewantinginworth,ishouldwishtomakeapartofourlittlevolume.

ishallbesorryifthatvolcomesout,asitnecessarilymustdo,unlessyouprintthoseveryschoolboyishversesisentyouonnotgettingleavetocomedowntobristollastsummer.isayishallbesorrythatihaveaddrestyouinnothingwhichcanappearinourjointvolume.

sofrequently,sohabituallyasyoudwellonmythoughts,'tissomewonderthosethoughtscameneveryetincontactwithapoeticalmood—butyoudwellinmyheartofhearts,andiloveyouinallthenakedhonestyofprose.godblessyou,andallyourlittledomesticcircle—mytenderestremembrancestoyourbelovedsara,&asmileandakissfrommetoyourdeardearlittledavidhartley—theversesirefertoabove,slightlyamended,ihavesent(forgettingtoaskyourleave,tho'indeedigavethemonlyyourinitials)tothemonth:mag:wheretheymaypossiblyappearnextmonth,andwhereihopetorecogniseyourpoemonburns.

tocharleslloyd,anunexpectedvisitor

alone,obscure,withoutafriend,

acheerless,solitarything,

whyseeksmylloydthestrangerout?

whatoffringcanthestrangerbring

ofsocialscenes,home-breddelights,

thathiminaughtcompensatemay

forstowey'spleasantwinternights,

forloves&friendshipsfaraway?

inbriefobliviontoforego

friends,suchasthine,sojustlydear,

andbeawhilewithmecontent

tostay,akindlyloiterer,here—

forthisagleamofrandomjoy,

hathflush'dmyustom'dcheek,

and,withano'er-charg'dburstingheart,

ifeelthethanks,icannotspeak.

o!sweetareallthemuses'lays,

andsweetthecharmofmatinbird—

'twaslong,sincetheseestrangedears

thesweetervoiceoffriendhadheard.

thevoicehathspoke:thepleasantsounds

inmemory'sear,inaftertime

shalllive,tosometimesrouseatear,

andsometimespromptanhonestrhyme.

forwhenthetransientcharmisfled,

andwhenthelittleweekiso'er,

tocheerless,friendlesssolitude

whenireturn,asheretofore—

long,long,withinmyachingheart,

thegratefulsenseshallcherishdbe;

i'llthinklessmeanlyofmyself,

thatlloydwillsometimesthinkonme.

1797.

ocol:wouldtogodyouwereinlondonwithus,orwetwoatstoweywithyouall.lloydtakesuphisabodeatthebull&mouthinn,—thecat&salutationwouldhavehadacharmmoreforcibleforme.onoctescaenaequedeûm!anglice—welchrabbits,punch,&poesy.

shouldyoubeinducedtopublishthoseveryschoolboyishverses,print'emastheywilloccur,ifatall,inthemonth:mag:yetishouldfeelashamedthattoyouiwrotenothingbetter.buttheyaretoopersonal,&almosttriflingandobscurewithal.somelinesofminetocowperwereinlastmonth:mag:theyhavenotbodyofthoughtenoughtopleadfortheretainingof'em.

mysister'skindlovetoyouall.

c.lamb.

[theversestolloydwereincludedincoleridge's1797volume;buttheversesconcerningthefrustratedbristolholidaywereomitted.concerningthisvisittolondoncharleslloydwrotetohisbrotherrobert:"ileftcharleslambverywarmlyinterestedinhisfavour,andhavekeptuparegularcorrespondencewithhimeversince;heisamostinterestingyoungman."onlytwolettersfromlambtocharleslloydhavesurvived.

"wetwo"—lambandlloyd.notlambandhissister.]