LETTER14

letter14

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

nov.14th,1796.

coleridge,iloveyoufordedicatingyourpoetrytobowles.geniusofthesacredfountainoftears,itwashewholedyougentlybythehandthroughallthisvalleyofweeping,showedyouthedarkgreenyewtreesandthewillowshadeswhere,bythefallofwaters,youmightindulgeanuncomplainingmelancholy,adeliciousregretforthepast,orweavefinevisionsofthatawfulfuture,

"whenallthevanitiesoflife'sbriefday

oblivion'shurryinghandhathsweptaway,

andallitssorrows,attheawfulblast

ofthearchangel'strump,arebutasshadowspast."

ihaveanothersortofdedicationinmyheadformyfewthings,whichiwanttoknowifyouapproveof,andcaninsert.imeantoinscribethemtomysister.itwillbeunexpected,anditwillgiveherpleasure;ordoyouthinkitwilllookwhimsicalatall?asihavenotspoketoheraboutit,icaneasilyrejecttheidea.butthereisamonotonyintheaffections,whichpeoplelivingtogetheror,aswedonow,veryfrequentlyseeingeachother,areapttogiveinto:asortofindifferenceintheexpressionofkindnessforeachother,whichdemandsthatweshouldsometimescalltoouraidthetrickeryofsurprise.doyoupublishwithlloydorwithouthim?ineithercasemylittleportionmaycomelast,andafterthefashionoforderstoacountrycorrespondentiwillgivedirectionshowishouldliketohave'emdone.thetitle-pagetostandthus:—

poems,

chieflylovesonnetsby

charleslamb,oftheindiahouse.

underthistitlethefollowingmotto,which,forwantofroom,iputoverleaf,anddesireyoutoinsert,whetheryoulikeitorno.maynotagentlemanchoosewhatarms,mottoes,orarmorialbearingstheheraldwillgivehimleave,withoutconsultinghisrepublicanfriend,whomightadvisenone?maynotapublicanputupthesignofthesaracen'shead,eventhoughhisundiscerningneighbourshouldprefer,asmoregenteel,thecatandgridiron?

(motto.)

"thisbeauty,intheblossomofmyyouth,

whenmyfirstfireknewnoadulterateincense,

norinowaytoflatterbutmyfondness,

inthebestlanguagemytruetonguecouldtellme,

andallthebrokensighsmysickheartlendme,

isuedandserved.longdidilovethislady."

massinger.

thededication.

thefewfollowingpoems,creaturesofthefancyandthefeelinginlife'smorevacanthours,produced,forthemostpart,byloveinidleness,are,withallabrother'sfondness,inscribedtomaryannlamb,theauthor'sbestfriendandsister.

thisisthepompandparaphernaliaofparting,withwhichitakemyleaveofapassionwhichhasreignedsoroyally(solong)withinme;thus,withitstrappingsoflaureatship,iflingitoff,pleasedandsatisfiedwithmyselfthattheweaknesstroublesmenolonger.iamwedded,coleridge,tothefortunesofmysisterandmypooroldfather.oh!myfriend,ithinksometimes,couldirecallthedaysthatarepast,whichamongthemshouldichoose?notthose"merrierdays,"notthe"pleasantdaysofhope,"not"thosewanderingswithafairhair'dmaid,"whichihavesooftenandsofeelinglyregretted,butthedays,coleridge,ofamother'sfondnessforherschool-boy.whatwouldigivetocallherbacktoearthforoneday,onmykneestoaskherpardonforallthoselittleasperitiesoftemperwhich,fromtimetotime,havegivenhergentlespiritpain;andtheday,myfriend,itrustwillcome;therewillbe"timeenough"forkindofficesoflove,if"heaven'seternalyear"beours.hereafter,hermeekspiritshallnotreproachme.oh,myfriend,cultivatethefilialfeelings!andletnomanthinkhimselfreleasedfromthekind"charities"ofrelationship:theseshallgivehimpeaceatthelast;thesearethebestfoundationforeveryspeciesofbenevolence.irejoicetohear,bycertainchannels,thatyou,myfriend,arereconciledwithallyourrelations.'tisthemostkindlyandnaturalspeciesoflove,andwehavealltheassociatedtrainofearlyfeelingstosecureitsstrengthandperpetuity.sendmeanaccountofyourhealth;indeediamsolicitousaboutyou.godloveyouandyours.c.lamb.

[itseemstohavebeencoleridge'sintentiontodedicatethesecondeditionofhispoemstobowles;buthechangedhismindanddedicatedittohisbrother,therev.georgecoleridge.asonnettobowleswasincludedinthevolume,akindofsub-dedicationoftheothersonnets,butithadappearedalsointhe1796volume.

lamb'sinstructionsconcerninghisshareinthe1797volumewerecarriedout,exceptthatthesub-titlewasomitted.

the"ations"merrierdays"("happierdays")and"wanderingswithafair-hair'dmaid"arefromlamb'sownsonnets;thoseinlines9and10fromdryden'selegyonmrs.killigrew.

coleridgehadpaidinthesummeralong-deferredvisitofreconciliationtohisfamilyatotteryst.mary.]