LETTER13

letter13

charleslambtos.t.coleridge

nov.8th,1796.

mybrother,myfriend,—iamdistrestforyou,believemeiam;notsomuchforyourpainful,troublesomecomplaint,which,itrust,isonlyforatime,asforthoseanxietieswhichbroughtiton,andperhapsevennowmaybenursingitsmalignity.tellme,dearestofmyfriends,isyourmindatpeace,orhasanything,yetunknowntome,happenedtogiveyoufreshdisquiet,andstealfromyouallthepleasantdreamsoffuturerest?areyoustill(ifearyouare)farfrombeingcomfortablysettled?wouldtogoditwereinmypowertocontributetowardsthebringingofyouintothehavenwhereyouwouldbe!butyouaretoowellskilledinthephilosophyofconsolationtoneedmyhumbletributeofadvice;inpainandinsickness,andinallmannerofdisappointments,itrustyouhavethatwithinyouwhichshallspeakpeacetoyourmind.makeit,ientreatyou,oneofyourpunycomforts,thatifeelforyou,andshareallyourgriefswithyou.ifeelasifiweretroublingyouaboutlittlethings;nowiamgoingtoresumethesubjectofourlasttwoletters,butitmaydivertusbothfromunpleasanterfeelingstomakesuchmatters,inamanner,ofimportance.withoutfurtherapology,then,itwasnotthatididnotrelish,thatididnotinmyheartthankyoufor,thoselittlepicturesofyourfeelingswhichyoulatelysentme,ifineglectedtomentionthem.youmayrememberyouhadsaidmuchthesamethingsbeforetomeonthesamesubjectinaformerletter,andiconsideredthoselastversesasonlytheidenticalthoughtsbetterclothed;eitherway(inproseorverse)suchpoetrymustbewelcometome.ilovethemasilovetheconfessionsofrousseau,andforthesamereason:thesamefrankness,thesameopennessofheart,thesamedisclosureofallthemosthiddenanddelicateaffectionsofthemind:theymakemeproudtobethusesteemedworthyoftheplaceoffriend-confessor,brother-confessor,toamanlikecoleridge.thislastis,iacknowledge,languagetoohighforfriendship;butitisalso,ideclare,toosincereforflattery.now,toputonstilts,andtalkmagnificentlyabouttrifles—icondescend,then,toyourcounsel,coleridge,andallowmyfirstsonnet(sicktodeathamitomakementionofmysonnets,andiblushtobesotakenupwiththem,indeedido)—iallowittorunthus,"fairyland"&c.&c.,asi[?you]lastwroteit.

thefragmentsinowsendyouiwantprintedtogetridof'em;for,whiletheystickburr-liketomymemory,theytemptmetogoonwiththeidletradeofversifying,whichilong—mostsincerelyispeakit—ilongtoleaveoff,foritisunprofitabletomysoul;ifeelitis;andthesequestionsaboutwords,anddebatesaboutalterations,takemeoff,iamconscious,fromthepropererbusinessofmylife.takemysonnetsonceforall,anddonotproposeanyre-amendments,ormentionthemagaininanyshapetome,ichargeyou.iblushthatmymindcanconsiderthemasthingsofanyworth.andprayadmitorrejectthesefragments,asyoulikeordislikethem,withoutceremony.call'emsketches,fragments,orwhatyouwill,butdonotentitleanyofmythingslovesonnets,asitoldyoutocall'em;'twillonlymakemelooklittleinmyowneyes;foritisapassionofwhichiretainnothing;'twasaweakness,concerningwhichimaysay,inthewordsofpetrarch(whoselifeisnowopenbeforeme),"ifitdrewmeoutofsomevices,italsopreventedthegrowthofmanyvirtues,fillingmewiththeloveofthecreatureratherthanthecreator,whichisthedeathofthesoul."thankgod,thefollyhasleftmeforever;notevenareviewofmyloveversesrenewsonewaywardwishinme;andifiamatallsolicitoustotrim'emoutintheirbestapparel,itisbecausetheyaretomaketheirappearanceingoodcompany.nowtomyfragments.lestyouhavelostmygrandame,sheshallbeone.'tisamongthefewversesieverwrote(thattomaryisanother)whichprofitmeintherecollection.godloveher,—andmaywetwoneverloveeachotherless!

these,coleridge,arethefewsketchesihavethoughtworthpreserving;howwilltheyrelishthusdetached?willyourejectalloranyofthem?theyarethine:dowhatsoeverthoulistestwiththem.myeyesachewithwritinglongandlate,andiwaxwondroussleepy;godblessyouandyours,meandmine!goodnight.

c.lamb.

iwillkeepmyeyesopenreluctantlyaminutelongertotellyou,thatiloveyouforthosesimple,tender,heart-flowinglineswithwhichyouconcludeyourlast,andinmyeyesbest,sonnet(soyoucall'em),

"so,forthemother'ssake,thechildwasdear,

anddearerwasthemotherforthechild."

cultivatesimplicity,coleridge,orrather,ishouldsay,banishelaborateness;forsimplicityspringsspontaneousfromtheheart,andcarriesintodaylightitsownmodestbudsandgenuine,sweet,andclearflowersofexpression.iallownohot-bedsinthegardensofparnassus.iamunwillingtogotobed,andleavemysheetunfilled(agoodpieceofnight-workforanidlebodylikeme),sowillfinishwithingyoutosendmetheearliestaccountofyourcomplaint,itsprogress,or(asihopetogodyouwillbeabletosendme)thetaleofyourrecovery,oratleastamendment.mytenderestremembrancestoyoursara.—

oncemoregoodnight.

[coleridge,onnovember2,hadbeguntosufferfromhislifelongenemy,neuralgia,theresultlargelyofworryconcerninghisfuture,somanyofhisprojectshavingbrokendown.hewassubduingitwithlaudanum—thebeginningofthatfatalhabit.

wedonotknowwhatweretheverseswhichcoleridgehadsentlamb,possiblythethreesonnetsonthebirthofhartley,thethirdofwhichisreferredtobelow.

lamb'sdecisioninseptembertosayorhearnomoreofhisownpoetryherebreaksdown.thereferencetothefairylandsonnetisonlypartiallyexplainedbytheparallelversionwhichiprintedonpage25;for"fairyland"wascoleridge'sversion.eitherlambhadmadeanewversion,substituting"fairyland"for"faery,"orhewrote,"iallowittorunthus:fairyland,&c.,&c.,asyoulastwroteit."whenreprinted,however,itranaslamboriginallywished.theotherfragmentswerethoseafterwardsincludedincoleridge'spoems,secondedition,1797.

"lovesonnets."lambchangedhismindagainonthissubject,andyetagain.

coleridge'slastofthethreesonnetsonthebirthofhartleywasentitled"sonnettoafriend[charleslloyd]whoaskedhowifeltwhenthenursefirstpresentedmyinfanttome."itclosedwiththelineswhichlambcopies.]