LETTER17

letter17

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

[littlequeenstreet,nightofdec.9th,]1796.

iamsorryicannotnowrelishyourpoeticalpresentasthoroughlyasifeelitdeserves;butidonotthelessthanklloydandyouforit.

intruth,coleridge,iamperplexed,&attimesalmostcastdown.iambesetwithperplexities.theoldhagofawealthyrelation,whotookmyauntoffourhandsinthebeginningoftrouble,hasfoundoutthatsheis"indolentandmulish"—i"eherownwords—andthatherattachmenttousissostrongthatshecanneverbehappyapart.thelady,withdelicateirony,remarksthat,ifiamnotanhypocrite,ishallrejoycetoreceiveheragain;andthatitwillbeameansofmakingmemorefondofhometohavesodearafriendtocomehometo!thefactis,sheisjealousofmyaunt'sbestowinganykindrecollectionsonus,whilesheenjoysthepatronageofherroof.shesaysshefindsitinconsistentwithherown"easeandtranquility"tokeepheranylonger,&infinesummonsmetofetchherhome.now,muchasishouldrejoycetotransplantthepooroldcreaturefromthechillingairofsuchpatronage,yetiknowhowstraitendwearealready,howunablealreadytoansweranydemandwhichsicknessoranyextraordinaryexpencemaymake.iknowthis,andallunusedasiamtolewithperplexitiesiamsomewhatnonplusd,tosaynoworse.thispreventsmefromathoroughrelishofwhatlloyd'skindnessandyourshavefurnishedmewith.ithankyouthofrommyheart,andfeelmyselfnotquitealoneintheearth.

beforeioffer,whataloneihavetooffer,afewobviousremarksonthepoemsyousentme,ican[not]butnoticetheoddcoincidenceoftwoyoungmen,inoneage,carollingtheirgrandmothers.love—whatl[loyd]calls"thefeverishandromantictye"—hathtoolongdomineerdoverallthecharitiesofhome:thedeardomestictyesoffather,brother,husband.theamiableandbenevolentcowperhasabeautifulpassageinhis"task,"—somenaturalandpainfulreflectionsonhisdeceasedparents:andhayley'ssweetlinestohismotherarenotoriouslythebestthingsheeverwrote.cowper'slines,someofthem,are—

"howgladlywouldthemanrecalltolife

theboy'sneglectedsire;amother,too.

thatsoftername,perhapsmoregladlystill,

mighthedemandthematthegatesofdeath."

icannotbutsmiletoseemygrannysogaylydeck'dforth:tho',ithink,whoeveraltered"thy"praisesto"her"praises,"thy"honouredmemoryto"her"honouredmemory,didwrong—theybestexprestmyfeelings.thereisapensivestateofrecollection,inwhichthemindisdisposedto'trophisethedepartedobjectsofitsattachment,and,breakingloosefromgrammaticalprecision,changesfromthe1sttothe3rd,andfromthe3rdtothe1stperson,justastherandomfancyorthefeelingdirects.amonglloyd'ssonnets,6th,7th,8th,9th,and11th,areeminentlybeautiful.ithinkhimtoolavishofhisexpletives;thedo'sanddid's,whentheyoccurtoooften,bringaquaintnesswiththemalongwiththeirsimplicity,orratherairofantiquitywhichthepatronsofthemseemdesirousofconveying.

thelinesonfridayareverypleasing—"yetcallsitselfinprideofinfancywomanorman,"&c.,"affection'stotteringtroop"—areprominentbeauties.anothertime,whenmymindweremoreatease,icouldbemoreparticularinmyremarks,andiwouldpostponethemnow,onlyiwantsomediversionofmind.themelancholymanisacharmingpieceofpoetry,onlythe"whys"(withsubmission)aretoomany.yetthequestionsaretoogoodtobeanyof'emomitted.forthoselinesofyours,page18,omittedinmagazine,ithinkthe3firstbetterretain'd—the3last,whicharesomewhatsimpleinthemostaffrontingsenseoftheword,betteromitted:tothismytastedirectsme—ihavenoclaimtoprescribetoyou."theirslothfullovesanddaintysympathies"isanexquisiteline,butyouknewthatwhenyouwrote'em,anditrifleinpointingsuchout.tisaltogetherthesweetestthingtomeyoueverwrote—tisallhoney."nowishprofanedmyoverwhelmedheart,blesthour,itwasaluxurytobe"—irecognisefeelings,whichimaytasteagain,iftranquilityhasnottakenhisflightforever,andiwillnotbelievebutishallbehappy,veryhappyagain.thenextpoemtoyourfriendisverybeautiful:neediinstancetheprettyfancyof"therock'scollectedtears"—orthatoriginalline"pour'dallitshealthfulgreennessonthesoul"?—letitbe,sinceyouaskedme,"asneighbouringfountainseachreflectthewhole"—tho'thatissomewhatharsh;indeedtheendingisnotsofinish'dastherest,whichifyouomitinyourforthcomingedition,youwilldothevolumewrong,andtheverybindingwillcryout.neithershallyouomitthe2followingpoems."thehourwhenweshallmeetagain,"isfinefancy,tistrue,butfancycateringintheserviceofthefeeling—fetchingfromherstoresmostsplendidbanquetstosatisfyher.donot,donotomitit.yoursonnettotheriverotterexcludesthoseequallybeautifullines,whichdeservenottobelost,"asthetiredsavage,"&c.,andipreferthatcopyinyourwatchman.ipleadforitspreference.

anothertime,imaynoticemoreparticularlylloyd's,southey's,dermody'ssonnets.ishrinkfromthemnow:myteazinglotmakesmetooconfusedforaclearjudgmentofthings,tooselfishforsympathy;andtheseill-digested,meaninglessremarksihaveimposedonmyselfasatask,tolullreflection,aswellastoshowyouididnotneglectreadingyourvaluablepresent.returnmyacknowledgmentstolloyd;youtwoappeartobeaboutrealisinganelysiumuponearth,and,nodoubt,ishallbehappier.takemybestwishes.remembermemostaffectionatelytomrs.c.,andgivelittledavidhartley—godblessitslittleheart!—akissforme.bringhimuptoknowthemeaningofhischristianname,andwhatthatname(imposeduponhim)willdemandofhim.

c.lamb.

godloveyou!

iwrite,foronething,tosaythatishallwritenomoretillyousendmewordwhereyouare,foryouaresosoontomove.

mysisterisprettywell,thankgod.wethinkofyouveryoften.godblessyou:continuetobemycorrespondent,andiwillstrivetofancythatthisworldisnot"allbarrenness."

[thepoeticalpresent,asthelatemr.dykescampbellpointedoutintheatheneum,june13,1891,consistedoflloyd'spoemsonthedeathofpriscillafarmer,towhichlambhadcontributed"thegrandame,"andofalittleprivately-printedcollectionofpoemsbycoleridgeandlloyd,whichtheyhadintendedtopublish,butdidnot.thepamphlethascompletelyvanished.inadditiontothesetwoworksthepoeticalpresentalsocomprisedanotherprivately-printedcollection,alittlepamphletoftwenty-eightsonnetswhichcoleridgehadarrangedforthepurposeofbindingupwiththoseofbowles.itincludedthreeofbowles',fourofcoleridge's,fouroflamb's,fourofsouthey's,andtheremainderbydermody,lloyd,charlottesmith,andothers.acopyofthispamphletispreservedinthesouthkensingtonmuseum.

"thepoemsyousentme."thiswouldbelloyd'spoemsonthedeathofpriscillafarmer.whenlambreprinted"thegrandame"incoleridge'ssecondedition,1797,heputbacktheoriginaltext.

inowtakeupmr.dykescampbell'scommentsontheletter,whereitbranchesofffromthepriscillafarmervolumetothevanishedpamphletofpoemsbycoleridgeandlloyd:—

beginningwithlloyd's"melancholyman"(firstprintedinthecarlislevolumeof1795),he[lamb]passestocoleridge'spoemonleavingthehoneymoon-cottageatclevedon,"altogetherthesweetestthingtome,"sayslamb,"youeverwrote."theverseshadappearedinthemonthlymagazinetwomonthsbefore….thatlamb'scounselwasfollowedtosomeextentmaybegatheredfromacomparisonbetweenthetextofthemagazineandthatof1797:—

"onceisaw

(hallowinghissabbath-daybyquietness)

awealthysonofcommercesaunterby,

bristowa'scitizen:hepaus'd,andlook'd,

withapleas'dsadness,andgazedallaround,

theney'dourcottage,andgaz'droundagain,

andsaid,itwasablessedlittleplace!

andwewereblessed!"

monthlymagazine.

"onceisaw

(hallowinghissabbath-daybyquietness)

awealthysonofcommercesaunterby,

bristowa'scitizen.methoughtitcalm'd

histhirstofidlegold,andmadehimmuse

withwiserfeelings:forhepaus'd,andlook'd

withapleas'dsadness,andgaz'dallaround,

theney'dourcottage,andgaz'droundagain,

andsigh'dandsaid,itwasablessedplace.

andwewereblessed."

poems,1797.

itwillbeobservedthatcoleridgein1797insertedsomelineswhichwerenotinthemagazine.theywereprobablyrestoredfromams.copylambhadpreviouslyseen,andifcoleridgedidnotcancelallthatlambwiselycounselled,hecertainlydrewthestingofthe"affrontingsimplicity"byremovingtheword"little."thecomicalambiguityofthebristolman'sexclamationasfirstreportedcouldhardlyhavefailedtodrivelamb'sdullcareawayforamomentortwo.

[in]"thenextpoemtoyourfriend,"…[lambis]speakingof

coleridge'slines"tocharleslloyd"—thosebeginning

"amount,notwearisomeandbareandsteep."

inthe"forthcomingedition"thepoetimprovedalittlethebarelytoleratedline,makingitread,—

"asneighb'ringfountainsimage,eachthewhole,"

butdidnottakelamb'shinttoomitthefivewhichclosedthepoem.lamb,however,gothisway—perhapstookit—whentheverseswerereprintedin1803,inthevolumehesawthroughthepressforcoleridge.

"neithershallyouomitthe2followingpoems.'thehourwhenweshallmeetagain'is[only?]afinefancy,'tistrue,butfancycateringintheserviceofthefeeling—fetchingfromherstoresmostsplendidbanquetstosatisfyher.donot,donot,omitit."

sowrotelambofthesesomewhatslenderverses,buthisfriendhadcomposedthem"duringillnessandinabsence,"andlambinhisownheart-sicknessandlonelinessdetectedtherealitywhichunderlaytheconventionalityofexpression.thecriticslept,andevenwhenhewasawakeagainin1803wasfaintoletthelinesbereprintedwithonlytheconcessionoftheirworstcouplet:—